Curious
by MiraStelloc
Summary: Alyss Shepard has just been transferred to the Normandy, for it's shakedown run, but everything goes horribly wrong when one Spectre kills another, and she breaks what she was meant to retrieve. Now the fate of the Galaxy rests squarely on her shoulders. Paragon/Spacer/War Hero/Vanguard. Building up the Shenko relationship. :P I do not own Anything, all the credit goes to Bioware.
1. The Beginning

**Author's Note:** **So I've played Mass Effect multiple times since it came out, and the ending of three makes me bawl…so I started changing it, and realized I wanted to start at the very beginning to develop hers and Kaidan's relationship, for you the reader. I've tried to be as thorough as possible, so I apologize if it takes forever for me to be finished. Copying down the dialogue exactly is painstakingly tiresome. In case you're wondering, my Shepard is a Paragon/Vanguard/Spacer/War Hero.**

**1. The Beginning**

"Well what about Shepard? She's a spacer. Lived aboard starships most of her life." Ambassador Donnel Udina said, flicking through the files.

Finding a candidate for the first human Spectre was tough, they needed someone inexplicably good…someone who was a good leader, a good fighter, didn't take the easy way out. Whoever they chose had the whole of Humanity's reputation sitting squarely on their shoulders. Who better than someone awarded the Star of Terra for her heroic actions?

"Military service runs in the family. Both her parents were in the Navy." Captain David Anderson added.

Admiral Stephen Hackett nodded in agreement. "She proved herself during the Blitz; held off enemy forces on the ground until reinforcements arrived."

"She's the only reason Elysium is still standing." Anderson continued.

Udina stroked his chin thoughtfully. "We can't question her courage."

"Humanity needs a hero. And Shepard's the best we've got." Anderson told the other two.

They were all in agreement then. Alyss Shepard was to be the first Human Spectre candidate, as well as Captain Anderson's new XO aboard one of the most advanced warships in military history. It was a big honor.

Udina nodded. "I'll make the call."


	2. The Call

**Author's Note:**** I thought I'd start with what she was doing before receiving the call to become the XO of the Normandy, and so I made her a little bit different than most other Shepards… I also was super jealous of Ashley's hair in ME3, and I like to pretend my Shepard has it from the very beginning, because let's face it…the hair choices weren't that great. Enjoy!**

**2. The Call**

It was the first time in months, Alyss Shepard and her mother Hannah Shepard had had their shore leave at the same time, and she planned to enjoy it. The two were similar, and though they were two strong, independent and beautiful women, they seemed to intimidate those around them. Hannah had booked a spa weekend for the two of them, and Alyss planned to fill it to the brim with relaxation.

She lay in a beach chair soaking up the sun next to the pool side, her thick, shoulder-length black hair draped over her shoulders framing her face. Clad in a sky blue midriff, and matching pleated miniskirt, she sipped her strawberry sunrise cocktail slowly. She would never admit it to anyone, but she really did love wearing girly outfits—her armor was like a second skin, but sometimes she wanted to feel like a person.

"Alyss, sweetie, come help your mother with these bags." Hannah called.

"Mom, there's people for that. Isn't this a vacation?" Alyss replied, opening her lavender eyes and shading them with her hand from the bright glow from the sun.

Hannah Shepard scowled at her daughter's choice of words.

Normally Alyss would jump up immediately and help her mother with whatever she wanted, but at one look at the muscular towel boy behind Hannah, Alyss knew exactly what her mother really wanted. She was twenty nine, and her mother had started trying to set her up with every Tom, Dick and Harry she thought her daughter would like, desperate for grandkids.

"Alyss Shepard!" Hannah scolded.

Alyss groaned, and swung her legs over the side of her chair. She picked her sunglasses up off the table putting them on as she fixed the back of her hair with her hand. Why had she brought so much stuff down? All Alyss had wanted was a day by the pool! Now everyone was staring at her…she'd be hard pressed to find anyone who didn't know her name by now, being the Hero of the Blitz did that to a person...or maybe just her.

"Mom, do you have to say my name so loud? I thought I was just Alyss this weekend. You promised!"

"I'm sorry, honey. Have you met Estefan?" Hannah asked, motioning to the towel boy behind her.

Alyss took half of her mother's stuff, and nodded politely at Estefan. He was cute, but she wasn't looking for a relationship. Her whole life was the Alliance Military—it gave her free reign to use her biotics, her special forces training and her N7 status. And if she was going to settle down, it had to be with someone who understood that. She loved her mother…she really did, but sometimes…

"I have now; it was nice to meet you Estefan."

"The pleasure's all mine, Señorita." He cooed his voice thick with a Spanish accent.

If he'd played the Spanish guitar, she would've swooned…Alyss had a weakness for men who could play a Spanish guitar. Something about its sound just made her immensely happy. She guided her mom over to the spot she'd claimed by the pool, and sat back in her chair.

"Mom…" Alyss trailed off. "This has got to stop. I love you…you know I do, but seriously. Settling down should be my choice…not yours; no matter when, no matter how, and no matter with whom. I'm a soldier and a biotic. That's my life."

Hannah shook her head, and placed her hand over her only daughter's. "It won't always be your life, sweetheart. I want you to have something to look forward to when it can't be your life anymore; but more than that I just want you to be happy—as happy as your father made me."

Alyss smiled. "I'll try harder to have a personal life okay?"

"Promise?"

"Promise."

"Estefan played the Spanish guitar, you know." Hannah chuckled, as she settled into her chair with a book.

Alyss clutched her heart. "Mom, no…why would you tell me that? Now I have to take him back to my room and—"

Someone was hovering by the door into the foyer of the spa. Alyss recognized the man instantly—she'd seen more than enough of her share of vids with the Human ambassador on the Citadel to know Donnel Udina. Her mentor Captain Anderson had mentioned him once or twice as well. Was he here for her or someone else? Had she done something wrong or something good?

She stood up slowly, and he gave her a curt nod.

"I'll be right back, mom." Alyss muttered.

Hannah waved her hand absently, already too engrossed in her book. It was the last day of their shore leave anyways, but was Alyss going to have to cut it short? She made her way across the pool deck, noticing only as she passed a window, her attire. She bit her lip…there was nothing she could do about it now.

"Ambassador Udina." Shepard said, reaching out to shake his hand as she got to him.

"Shepard." He looked like he was in a hurry.

"What can I do for you?" She hoped he'd make it quick…this was her weekend he was interrupting.

"You've been transferred, Shepard. You're the XO of the Normandy, the most advanced warship in the fleet Alliance fleet. You're to report there, immediately. Say your goodbyes. Oh, and don't screw this up." Udina nodded briskly, and turned heel, leaving Alyss standing there stunned.

"What a jerk." Alyss muttered, turning back around and making her way back to her mother. "I have to go pack."

Hannah sat up. "What? It's the last day of our weekend together!"

Alyss ran her fingers through her hair. She knew that, but what was she to do? Call up the Captain of the Normandy and tell him she was too busy hanging out with her mother to be second in command of the most cutting edge ship in space? Every soldier knew about the Normandy…to be asked to serve on her, was an honor.

"I know, but I've been transferred…to the Normandy, Mom. Do you know what this could do for my career?"

Hannah pulled her daughter down to her level. She wasn't upset—she was damned proud.

"Alyss you promised to have a life; now you're just going to find some other reason to work all the time. I know this is a big honor, sweetie, but it's also a responsibility. Are you sure you can handle this? I don't want you to turn down the biggest opportunity of your life, however."

"I don't think I have a choice anyways." Alyss mused. "I promise I'll call you the minute I settle in…and who knows, maybe I'll find a nice boy to love."

"Alyss, he'd be your subordinate and that would be classified as fraternization." Hannah reminded her.

Alyss shrugged.

"Rules can't stand in the way of true love." She teased.

Hannah playfully smacked the back of her daughter's leg with her book. "Go pack and get dressed in something more military appropriate. We'll finish this another time."

"I love you, Mom."

"I love you too, Alyss."


	3. The Ship

**Author's Note:**** In the second one When you drink with Chakwas, she mentions Alenko and Jenkins sparring and Kaidan's biotic display nearly breaking Richard's back. I thought that scene would be perfect, for Shepard's first day on the Normandy. There's also some Shenko foreshadowing beginning in this chapter.**

**3. The Ship**

Kaidan Alenko and Richard Jenkins were sparring together, Jenkins eager as always. Kaidan kept his biotics under tight control, never wanting to hurt anyone again. Dr. Chakwas watched on the edge of her seat, as Kaidan let out a biotic display knocking Jenkins right off his feet—it seemed like he'd lost control and his display had broken Jenkins' back, but Richard popped up almost immediately.

"That was awesome!" He yelled.

The assembled crew let out a howl of laughter. Captain Anderson walked past, having just finished his a meeting via vid comm with Admiral Stephen Hackett and Ambassador Donnel Udina, both of them informing him that Shepard was en route. It had been a while since he'd seen his protégé, and wanted to make everything perfect.

Kaidan wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead. The Captain had been on edge for the past couple days, but wouldn't let anyone in on what was happening. That was when an angry looking Turian strode onto the ship, following the path the captain had just taken.

They weren't too far away, and everyone strained to hear what they were saying.

"Captain, I'm Nihlus with Special Tactics and Reconnaissance." He muttered.

"I'm pleased to meet you. I apologize for the rude welcome, but I'm currently waiting for my XO to arrive, she'll be here soon, I promise you. And then we can begin."

"A Spectre!" Jenkins hissed.

Kaidan nodded. "That's what it sounds like. Our XO…any intel on her?"

Jenkins grinned. "I heard it was none other than the Hero of the Blitz, Alyss Shepard herself."

Jenkins was ever the exaggerator, but he did keep his ears to the ground. Kaidan would definitely confirm his theory with Joker when he got the chance, but what was a Spectre doing on the Normandy, when it was preparing for its first shakedown run?

"This is Goliath MK-8 on approach vector 5delta. ETA 3 minutes; requesting permission to dock." The shuttle pilot said into his microphone.

Alyss sat there silently, just taking deep breaths to steady herself; she reached up to touch her ponytail and stopped herself. She always played with her hair when she was nervous or thinking about something intently. She never let it get past her shoulders since she was constantly finding herself in combat, but she kept it pulled back in a ponytail to at least appear professional, when on duty.

It was her first day on the job, and no one needed to know about her nervous tick. She checked herself in one of the metal panels wishing she had gotten rid of the makeup. Dark grey eye shadow? Red Lipstick? How was she supposed to come across professional? Alyss took a deep breath.

They'd wanted her hadn't they? This was how she always dressed, and if they didn't like it tough. She hoped that an attitude like that wouldn't get her in trouble one of these days. All she needed was to be fired. What she really needed right now was a friendly face.

"Permission granted, Goliath." A voice crackled over the comm.

"First day?" The pilot asked Alyss.

She nodded. "How did you know?"

He chuckled. "I swear you've checked your pistol eight times already."

Alyss blushed. "It's better than messing with my hair."

The sound of a ship's clamps could be heard on the side of the shuttle. Alyss closed her eyes briefly and when she opened them, her nervousness had faded. She was the Alyss Shepard everyone knew from Elysium; strong, brilliant, independent, and confident. This was just like every other mission and reassignment—nothing to pull her hair out over. If they didn't like her, tough—she'd just have to get over making friends here if that was the case.

"Good luck, and try not to worry too much." The pilot reassured her.

"I won't." Alyss told him.

She meant it. Her nervousness had evaporated and she was actually looking forward to being second in command; Anderson would be proud of her. If only he could see her become Commander Shepard, XO of the Normandy. She squared her shoulders, straightened her armor, holstered her gun, and walked through the Normandy's airlock.

A huge smile spread across her face.

"Welcome aboard the Normandy, Commander Shepard." Anderson told her.

"Anderson." She reached out and the two shook hands enthusiastically. "I should've known you were the captain of the Normandy. I can't tell you how good it is to see you."

It was odd for anyone aboard the Normandy to see Captain Anderson so happy and relaxed. This woman must've been something very special indeed. He motioned her into the ship, the crew getting a good look at her for the first time. Kaidan held his breath; he didn't think he'd ever seen anything more beautiful in his entire life.

"How are the biotics?" Anderson asked.

"As powerful as ever." Alyss laughed, letting her powers come out to play, dancing around her in a bluish purple light as Jenkins nudged Kaidan in the ribs. "Now where can I park it? I don't want to carry these around the whole tour…I am getting a tour right?"

Anderson chuckled. "Of course—I won't be able to give it to you, I have a pressing matter to attend to, but Lieutenant Alenko here will be showing you around."

Kaidan stepped forward, instantly drawn to her. "Lieutenant Kaidan Alenko, ma'am."

He was absolutely adorable.

"Alyss Shepard. I'll try not to cause _too_ much trouble." She winked.

Kaidan liked her instantly, she said exactly what was on her mind, and didn't shy away from anything—it would also be nice having another biotic around. He motioned for her to walk with him, hoping they could walk and talk at the same time. Besides, he needed a distraction from the way her N7 armor was snug in all the right places…


	4. The Crush

**Author's Note:**** I thought I'd throw in a Shenko fluff chapter, seeing as even though I love Thane, I will always be true to my Kaidan…except once, because I was trying to get the achievement. I tried to address Shepard's and Kaidan's biotics, and Kaidan's migraines…**

**4. The Crush**

Alyss was up late in engineering—she'd snuck down when she was sure no one was up, wearing a miniskirt and an off the shoulder t-shirt—testing the effects of the EEZO core against her biotics. It was fascinating—but her stomach rumbled in disapproval at the amount of work she'd put in without eating. Her hair had come out of its ponytail in protest about thirty minutes before. She decided she could risk going into the mess; everyone should be asleep and there'd be no one to see her disheveled like this.

While she wanted real food, she was back on a military ship—darn that spa for spoiling her. Alyss had never hated the ration packs more than she did now, but since that was all they had; she'd just have to make do. The crew deck was silent and dark, but she didn't dare turn on a light, instead, letting her biotics off their leash to swirl around her and light up only the immediate area in front of her.

Kaidan saw the bluish purple light through the med bay window, where he'd been nursing a migraine. He knew he absolutely shouldn't do what he was thinking, but there was just something about her. He rolled out of the infirmary bed, and walked out. Maybe it was because she was a fellow biotic—but he wanted to know for sure.

He turned the corner, and stopped dead in his tracks; Alyss stood lounging against a wall, absently eating an orange, her feet, legs, arms and one of her shoulders were all bare, and her long hair was down. Was that a skirt? His heart started pounding and he looked around wildly as vivid images flashed through his head. Something had to distract him.

"Commander?" He asked tentatively.

Alyss jumped about a foot in the air; she was definitely not expecting anyone to be here, let alone Lieutenant Alenko. The man did weird things to her—it was probably just the way he filled out his uniform. She closed her eyes, and took a deep breath trying to calm herself and her biotics.

"Yes, Alenko?" They weren't on duty, so the informal use of his last named seemed appropriate.

"Can't sleep?" He asked, pulling out a chair at the table.

"I don't know…I haven't tried yet." Alyss admitted sheepishly, sitting down next to him, ignoring the pounding of her heart as their arms touched. "What about you?"

"Migraine." He motioned to the med bay.

"Ah…because of your biotics?"

"Dead on; do you ever get headaches because of yours?"

Alyss shook her head as she reached up to the base of her skull, where her implant had been surgically installed under her skin fourteen years prior. She couldn't feel it but she knew it was there; though she didn't get much trouble from the L3.

"No, not really…are yours very bad?"

"Sometimes." Kaidan replied.

Without thinking, Alyss put her hand over his in comfort, but the two of them felt their biotics hum in unison. She whipped her hand back almost immediately, and let her biotic light dissipate, so Kaidan couldn't see the blush creeping across her cheeks. He couldn't get over how soft her hands were.

"I'm sorry." She muttered.

Alyss pushed her chair back quickly with a dull scraping sound on the floor and ran for the crew quarters. Kaidan was left there all alone with his thoughts as he made his way forlornly back to the med bay, unable to forget the feel of her hand on his.

What had she done?


	5. The Questions

**Author's note: ****So this chapter is extra-long, because I couldn't figure out where to cut it, but for all of you who don't like to fill in your codex by asking every question, here are all the answers. I forgot to say a special thank s the Zevik's walkthrough on insanity for getting me this far. He's a life saver.**

**5. The Questions**

"The Arcturus Prime Relay is in range...initiating transmission sequence."

It was a good thing Alyss loved her job. She hadn't gotten even forty winks but she'd be damned if she let it show. She'd been a little late, doing her makeup and actually putting on her gear instead of waiting. This had to be more than a simple shakedown run…something big was happening. But even as XO she hadn't been let in the loop.

She walked briskly towards the cockpit, almost running into a couple crew members meandering around the CIC deck reading data pads. As she passed Navigator Pressly, she sent him a brief smile. The two of them had to work closely, seeing as if anything happened to her, he became Captain Anderson's second in command.

"We are connected. Calculating transit mass and destination. Relay is hot, acquiring approach vector. All stations secure for transit." Joker continued over the comm.

Nihlus, the Turian Spectre who seemed to be everywhere Alyss was, had gotten to the bridge ahead of her. She stood behind him, feet shoulder width apart, hands clasped behind her back as the Mass Effect relay glowed through the view screen. She loved just coming up to the bridge sometimes, just to sit and enjoy the view. It was beautiful.

Even being raised on spaceships her whole life; the view from space always took her breath away.

"The board is green. Approach run has begun. Hitting Relay in three... two ...one."

Alyss checked lieutenant Alenko out from the corner of her eye. No one had ever worked with him before this mission, but she'd read his file after that embarrassing debacle on her first night on the Normandy. A very powerful L2 biotic and technologically savvy guy, he'd been with the Alliance for years. Usually human biotics weren't respected, but they might as well get a paycheck for having powers that alienated them. She was a biotic herself—the Alliance called it a Vanguard, because she was combat capable as well, a born leader they said…and after Elysium, she could have anything she wanted.

"Thrusters... check. Navigation... check. Internal emissions sink engaged. All systems online. Drift... just under 1500 K." Joker read.

Alyss returned her attention forward, and let her lavender eyes stare out into the black void, trying to bring her mind back to the matter at hand. She needed to focus; no matter how attractive the lieutenant was, they were on a mission, and as far as she was concerned, when they were out in the field, he was just a gun with legs…very muscular legs.

Wicked thoughts flicked across her mind once more.

"Fifteen hundred is good." Nihlus said as he turned to leave. "Your captain will be pleased."

Alyss stepped aside so the Nihlus could pass her the two of them giving each other a slight nod. The two of them respected each other; even though first contact 30 years before had been war with the Turians, Alyss had learned that not every single one hated humanity. Hannah Shepard would be proud.

Joker shook his head. "I hate that guy."

"Nihlus gave you a compliment, so you hate him?" Lieutenant Alenko asked, while sitting copilot.

Joker nodded.

Alyss snickered quietly. Joker was the best pilot there was, and Alyss couldn't see why he needed a copilot, but if that was where Captain Anderson wanted the lieutenant, Alyss sure as Hell wasn't going to force the issue. She wanted him somewhere else entirely…

"Remember to zip up your jumpsuit on the way out of the bathroom, _that's_ good! I just jumped us halfway across the galaxy and hit a target the size of a pinhead, so that's _incredible_! Besides, Spectres are trouble. I don't like having one on board. Call me paranoid." Joker said.

"You're paranoid." Kaidan retorted. "The Council helped fund this project; they have a right to send someone to keep an eye on their investment."

"Yeah, that is the _official_ story. Only an idiot believes the official story." Joker pointed out.

"They don't send Spectres on shakedown runs." Alyss added.

Joker and Kaidan had completely forgotten Alyss was standing behind them; she was so quiet. She might as well be a ghost, for how silently she moved. But she'd been feeling something big was going to happen in her gut since they started this mission…which is why she was already fully geared.

"So there's more going on here than the captain's letting on." Joker agreed.

The comm came to life.

"Joker! Status report!" Captain Anderson barked.

"Just cleared the Mass Relay, Captain." Joker informed him, his tone indicating he was using his 'all business' façade. "Stealth systems engaged, everything looks solid."

"Good. Find a comm buoy and link us into the network. I want mission reports relayed back to Alliance brass before we reach Eden Prime." Anderson ordered.

Alyss flinched. The captain did not sound happy at all, but it must've just been the mission. It's seemed like the secrecy was very high for a shakedown, but that wasn't what worried her. It was everything; the secrecy, her sudden transfer, Nihlus…Anderson wanted the best, but what for?

"Aye, aye, Captain." Joker paused. "Better brace yourself, sir. I think Nihlus is headed your way."

"He's already here." Kaidan shook his head as Captain Anderson continued. "Tell Commander Shepard to meet me in the comm room for a debriefing."

"You get that, Commander?" Joker teased.

"He sounds angry. Something must have gone wrong with the mission." Alyss muttered as she turned to leave the cockpit.

Joker snorted. "Pff. The captain always sounds like that when he's talking to me."

Kaidan scoffed. "I can't possibly imagine why."

Alyss smiled; you'd think the two of them had known each other for years with the way they went on together, instead of just a couple months. She was the newcomer though, only joining the crew a week before. It wasn't much time to settle into her role as XO, but she managed, and everyone seemed to accept her. Maybe it was just the framed Star of Terra on her bedside table in the crew quarters they accepted.

She headed towards the center of the CIC, unable to see Kaidan and Joker watching her go.

"My God, she's beautiful." Kaidan whispered, so only Joker could hear.

Joker nodded in agreement.

"I'm telling you, I just saw him! He marched by like he was on a mission!" Charles Pressly told the comm panel in front of him.

"He's a Spectre. They're always on a mission." Gregory Adams replied.

Adams was the Normandy's chief engineer, and a damn good one at that. He and Alyss had many technical chats about engineering in general, and Alyss was convinced he and Dr. Karin Chakwas had a thing between them...no one but the doctor called him Greg. He didn't care what Alyss had done before…all he cared about was how she treated his ship—though Joker could argue that the Normandy was _his_ baby.

"And we're getting dragged right along with him." Pressly scowled.

"Relax, Pressly. You're going to give yourself an ulcer." Adams laughed.

Now that Alyss had the time, she thought she'd chat with Pressly—having slept in and was only able to give him a brief smile in passing. The two of them were two sides of the same coin. While Pressly was a stickler for rules and regulations, Alyss had a more of a laid back, and open door policy, but sometimes they switched roles. However, she was pretty sure she intimidated most of the crew more than Pressly did…being the Hero of the Blitz seemed to ostracize her.

She stopped next to Pressly's console, and he saluted her.

"Congratulations, Commander. Looks like we've had a smooth run. You heading down to see the captain?"

Alyss bit her lip…should she let him know she'd eavesdropped a little on him? Would he be angry? She took a deep breath. Why not just go for it? She respected Nihlus, but since first contact hadn't been that long ago—at 29, she'd just missed the First Contact War by a year—but she knew why most of the crew distrusted him.

"It sounds like you don't trust our Turian guest."

"Sorry, Commander; just having a chat with Adams down in engineering. I didn't mean to cause any trouble. But you have to admit, something's odd about this mission. The whole crew feels it." Pressly admitted.

Boy, did she know it.

"You think the Alliance brass is holding out on us?" Alyss asked.

She certainly did.

It was always nice to get a second opinion, so where was the harm in asking what she already figured? It'd be nice to hear the second XO's opinion. The two of them hadn't gotten where they were without trusting their instincts. Alyss patted Pressly's shoulder, comfortingly; asking him to continue without words. He seemed tense.

Pressly threw his hand up. "If all we're supposed to do is test out the stealth system, why is Captain Anderson in charge? And then there's Nihlus. Spectres are elite operatives. Top covert agents. Why send a Spectre—a Turian Spectre—on a shakedown run? It doesn't add up.

"What can you tell me about the stealth systems?" Alyss asked because the Normandy was a prototype, the first ship of its kind with certain added features; and as the XO, she felt she needed to know everything about its inner workings.

"I just know it masks our location from scans and sensors. Cutting edge technology. The Normandy's the only ship with this prototype drive. But why are we fully staffed? A skeleton crew would be cheaper. Less chance of security leaks, too. Plus, there's Nihlus. It's pretty obvious this shakedown run is just a cover."

Alyss twirled her shoulder length black hair around her fingers, having been in too much of a hurry to pull it up earlier. She always did that when she was deep in thought—and Pressly brought up some excellent points. What, _exactly, _were they doing?

"For what?"

"Damned if I know, Commander. We're out here on false pretenses. I'm not a fan of being left in the dark."

Alyss cocked her head to the side. "Do you have a problem with the captain?"

She may not have been on the Normandy long. But she knew that everybody loved Captain Anderson, herself included. But maybe everyone was just on edge today. Pressly shook his head immediately, like she'd just slapped him in the face and insulted his honor. She was toeing a dangerous line.

"No ma'am. But I can't figure out what he's doing here. Captain Anderson is one of the most decorated Special Forces operatives in the service. If he melted down all his medals, he could make a life-size statue of himself. You don't send a soldier like that on a do-nothing mission. He's treating this shakedown run too seriously. Something big is going on." Pressly alleged.

Red lips opened in an 'oh' shape. "You don't trust Nihlus."

Pressly shrugged. "I don't like Turians in general; it runs in my family. My grandfather fought in the First contact War; lost a lot of friends when the Turians hit us."

"That was thirty years ago. You can't blame Nihlus for that."

"No, I guess not. But it still makes me nervous to have a Spectre on board, especially a Turian. We're an Alliance vessel, human military. But Nihlus doesn't answer to the captain like the rest of us. Spectres operate outside the normal chain of command. And they don't come along just to observe shakedown runs. Nihlus looks like he's expecting some heavy action. I don't like it."

Alyss nodded. "I'll see if I can get some answers when I see him."

"Good luck, Commander."

"I grew up on Eden Prime, Doc. It's not the kind of place Spectres visit. There's something Nihlus isn't telling us about this mission." Corporal Richard Jenkins chattered excitedly.

"That's crazy. The captain's in charge here; he wouldn't take orders from a Spectre." Dr. Chakwas sighed.

"Not his choice, Doc. Spectres don't answer to anyone. They can do whatever they want. Kill anyone who gets in their way."

Dr. Chakwas laughed. "You watch too many spy vids, Jenkins."

Alyss knew she shouldn't be dawdling as much as she was, but she wanted her crew to know she cared about what they thought. But Captain Anderson was a patient man…plus, she'd already eavesdropped twice that morning; why not keep her streak alive? Dr. Chakwas motioned her over when she noticed her hanging at the fringes of hers and Jenkins' conversation. Alyss smiled.

Jenkins saluted her. "What do you think Commander? We won't be staying on Eden Prime too long, will we? I'm itching for some real action!"

Dr. Chakwas frowned. "I sincerely hope you're kidding, Corporal. Your real action usually ends with me patching up crew members in the infirmary."

"You need to calm down, Corporal. A good soldier stays cool, even under fire." Alyss cautioned.

It was an attitude that had gotten her through a lot in life. At Elysium, she knew she couldn't save the colonists the Batarians had killed, but instead of dwelling on the dead, she'd had to keep herself focused on the living. Focused on the ones she could still save.

Jenkins shrugged. "Sorry, Commander. But this waiting's killing me. I've never been on a mission like this before. Not one with a Spectre on board!"

"Just treat this like every other assignment you've had and everything will work out." Alyss assured him.

"Easy for you to say. You proved yourself during the Blitz. Everybody knows what you can do. This is my big chance. I need to show the brass what I can do!"

"You're young, Corporal. You have a long career ahead of you. Don't do something stupid to mess it up." Alyss told him.

"Don't worry ma'am. I'm not going to screw this up."

"What can you tell me about Nihlus?" Alyss asked, looking directly at Dr. Chakwas.

Karin shrugged and rubbed the back of her neck. "Turians are generally well-respected by the other species. Their fleet has more patrols protecting citadel space than any other. They don't always get along well with us, though. Some people find them too rigid. Others still blame them for the First Contact War. As for Nihlus, I haven't said more than two words to him. He usually only speaks to the captain."

Jenkins was bouncing on the balls of his feet. His childish excitement made Alyss smile a little; she couldn't remember the last time she'd been that excited—Christmas when she was ten? Her father had finally caved and gotten her model ship kit she'd been eyeing for months. Her love of ships had been drummed into her from day one.

"I hope we get a chance to see him in action. I heard Nihlus took down an entire enemy platoon all by himself!" Jenkins gushed.

Alyss knew a case of hero worship when she heard one—Jenkins had been like that when he'd met her too. So were a lot of people though. She didn't mind all the attention, but she loved to just get away from all the fame and just be Alyss instead of Alyss Shepard. It was why she'd agreed to go to that spa weekend with her mother.

"What do you know about Spectres?"

Alyss had been lax in her duties as of late, she was supposed to have all her intel on hand and here she was gathering it all at the last minute. Maybe it had just taken her until now to realize what an enormous amount of pressure she was under.

"Only what I've heard. Spectre agents work directly for the Citadel Council. They usually work alone or in small groups. Spectres don't have any official power, though. Basically, they're a shadow organization with a mandate to preserve and protect galactic stability."

"Protect it at any cost. Don't forget that part. Spectres operate above the law!" Jenkins cut in.

Alyss raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow. "Why don't we have any of our own people in there?"

"Spectres usually come from the Council races. Like the Turians. We've been trying to get a human accepted into their ranks for years now. So far, it hasn't happened." Karin responded.

Jenkins' eyes lit up. "Hey, Commander! You'd make a good Spectre!"

Alyss blushed, and began twirling a strand of silky black hair around her fingers.

"They're always getting dropped into impossible situations; forced to survive unbeatable odds. Just like you on Elysium!" Richard continued, unfazed.

Dr. Chakwas shook her head.

"This is all just wild speculation! The Spectres aren't interested in recruiting Humans, no matter how capable."

"How do you control agents with unlimited power?" Alyss asked; to her it sounded dangerous, though if given the choice, she hoped she'd never have to compromise her morals to achieve her goal—even if she _could_ make her own rules.

"I suppose the Council could revoke the Spectre status of an agent who got out of hand. At that point, Citadel Security Services would take over." Dr. Chakwas wasn't entirely sure though, Alyss could tell by the tone of her voice.

Jenkins shook his head. "Those C-Sec grunts wouldn't stand a chance. A Spectre's worth twenty ordinary soldiers. The Spectres police themselves. An agent goes rogue, they send another agent to take 'em down. That's Spectre justice!"

"The Corporal's confusing romantic legends with reality, Commander."

"You're from Eden Prime, aren't you Jenkins? What's it like?" Alyss had fizzled out on the topic of Spectres.

"It's very peaceful, Commander. They've been real careful with development, so you don't have any city noise or pollution. My parents lived on the outskirts of the colony. At night I used to climb this big hill and stare across the fields back at the lights from the main settlement. It was gorgeous. But when I got older, I realized it was a little too calm and quiet for me. That's why I joined the Alliance. Even paradise gets boring after a while."

Alyss would happily take boring paradise over destroyed and war torn any day.

"Any idea why Eden Prime was chosen as our destination?"

Jenkins shook his head. "Not really sure, Commander. Eden Prime's one of our most stable colonies. Good place to take the Normandy for her shakedown run, I guess. No real danger there. But there's gotta be something else going on. We've got a Spectre on board! That's why I'm so wound up. I can't wait for the real mission to start!"

Alyss knew she'd wasted enough time dawdling, and needed to get to the comm room; even Anderson's patience had its limits. "The captain's waiting for me."

"Goodbye, Commander." Dr. Chakwas said.


	6. The Mission

**Author's note: ****No Shenko this chapter, there was some last chapter though. Just little bits and pieces until I get past Eden Prime, though. This scene took forever to write, because it was mostly supposed to be description. Sorry if it bores you. :P**

**6. The Mission**

Alyss sighed and walked around the wall, earning salutes from the two men guarding the door to the briefing room. She gave them each a slight nod in return, and the doors slid open in front of her. It was her favorite part.

Captain Anderson wasn't in the Comm room when Alyss finally made her way in there—but Nihlus was. Anderson must've been coming up from his quarters and was still in the elevator. Nihlus had his back to her, but she knew for a fact he'd heard the door open. She made her way down the gangplank, and he turned slowly to face her, like he was making sure they were alone.

"Commander Shepard. I was hoping you'd get here first. It will give us a chance to talk." Nihlus crossed his arms over his chest.

"The captain said he'd meet me here." Alyss stated.

"He's on his way." Nihlus uncrossed his arms and began pacing...was that uncertainty she sensed? "I'm interested in this world we're going to—Eden Prime. I hear it's quite beautiful."

Alyss nodded. "They say it's a paradise."

"Yes...a paradise. Serene. Tranquil. _Safe_. Eden Prime has become something of a symbol for your people, hasn't it? Proof that humanity can not only establish colonies across the galaxy, but also protect them. But how safe is it, really?"

Shepard took a step forward, one eyebrow raised. "Do you know something?"

"Your people are still newcomers, Shepard. The galaxy can be a dangerous place. Is the Alliance _truly_ ready for this?" Nihlus continued.

It didn't sound exactly like a threat, but why did she get the feeling that they were no longer talking about Eden Prime? The doors to the FTL comm room whooshed open, and Captain Anderson walked down the gangplank. Saved by the bell.

"I think it's about time we told the commander what's really going on." Captain Anderson said, in that deep voice of his.

"This mission is far more than a simple shakedown run." Nihlus interjected.

Alyss had to stop herself from snorting in satisfaction; everyone knew it. "I figured there was something you weren't telling us."

"We're making a covert pick-up on Eden Prime. That's why we need the stealth systems operational." Anderson nodded.

"There must be a reason you didn't tell me about this, sir." It wasn't a question.

"This comes down from the top, Commander. Information strictly on a need-to-know basis. A research team on Eden Prime unearthed some kind of beacon. It was Prothean." The captain told her, looking directly into her eyes.

This _was_ big.

A wave of excitement washed over Alyss, but she didn't let it show. Everyone always wanted to know more about the Protheans, they'd built the Citadel and the mass relays, but there was next to nothing known about them.

"I thought the Protheans vanished 50,000 years ago." Alyss stated.

"Their legacy still remains. The mass relays, the Citadel, our ship drives—it's all based on Prothean technology." Nihlus explained.

"This is big, Shepard. The last time humanity made a discovery like this, it jumped our technology forward two hundred years. But Eden Prime doesn't have the facilities for something like this. We need to bring it back to the Citadel for proper study." Anderson continued.

"Obviously this goes beyond mere human interests, Commander." Nihlus added. "This discovery could affect every species in Council space."

"Why didn't we keep the beacon for ourselves?" It was a legitimate question.

"You humans don't have the best reputation. Some species see you as selfish. Too unpredictable. Too independent. Even dangerous." Nihlus apparently didn't feel the need to sugar coat the issue; he was starting to grow on her.

"Sharing that beacon will improve relations with the Council. Plus, we need their scientific expertise; they know more about the Protheans than we do." Anderson concluded.

Nihlus uncrossed his arms and stopped lounging against the railing and took a couple steps towards her. "The beacon's not the only reason I'm here, Shepard."

"Nihlus wants to see you in action, Commander; he's here to evaluate you."

Alyss' eyes went wide—her…a Spectre?! There was no doubt the honor this was, but if she'd realized what they were doing before, she wouldn't have stood there gaping at them like an idiot. She closed her mouth, recovering from the initial shock rather quickly.

"Guess that explains why I bump into him every time I turn around." Alyss' tone was more amused than shocked; good.

"The Alliance has been pushing for this for a long time. Humanity wants a larger role in shaping interstellar policy. We want more say with the Citadel Council. The Spectres represent the Council's power and authority. If they accept a human into their ranks, it will show how far the Alliance has come." Anderson explained.

"You held off an enemy assault during the Blitz single-handed." Nihlus said. "You showed not only courage, but incredible skill. There are very few officers I know of who could achieve those kinds of results with untrained civilians, and your own combat skills can hardly be discounted. That's why I put your name forward as a candidate for the Spectres."

The first human Spectre…Alyss knew without hesitation she was ready for this. Then it sunk in. _Nihlus_ had put her name forward—not Captain Anderson or Admiral Hackett, but this hard-ass Turian Spectre. She would always owe Nihlus for this opportunity…a debt she didn't feel she could ever repay.

"Why would a Turian want a human in the Spectres?" She asked.

Nihlus looked amused. "Not all Turians resent humanity. Some of us see the potential of your species. We see what you have to offer to the rest of the galaxy…and to the Spectres. We are an elite group. It's rare to find an individual with the skills we seek. I don't care that you're human, Shepard. I only care that you can do the job."

She hoped she wouldn't let him down…he was taking a big risk on her. She looked to Captain Anderson; Alyss would never dream of doing this without the complete approval of her mentor and friend. Admiral Hackett probably had something to do with this as well.

"I assume this is good for the Alliance?" She continued.

"Earth needs this, Shepard." Captain Anderson nodded; inadvertently piling on more pressure. "We're counting on you."

"I need to see your skills for myself, Commander. Eden Prime will be the first of several missions together." Nihlus stated with a hint of finality to his statement.

"You'll be in charge of the ground team. Secure the beacon and get it onto the ship ASAP. Nihlus will accompany you to observe the mission." Anderson informed her.

She refused to go into a mission with a Spectre evaluating her without all the facts. She needed to know everything; Alyss had never done anything half way before, and didn't intend to start now. So before they got there, she intended to get as much information as she could.

"What do you know about the Protheans?" She asked.

Anderson smiled; it did his heart good that his protégé remembered the basics.

"Just what they taught us in school. They were a technologically-advanced species that ruled the galaxy 50,000 years ago. Then they vanished. Nobody really knows how or why, though I've heard plenty of theories. But everyone agrees galactic civilization wouldn't exist without them." He told her.

"Their Citadel is the very heart of galactic society. And without their mass relays, interstellar travel would be impossible. We all owe the Protheans a great debt." Nihlus added.

"I'd like to know more about Eden Prime before we touch down." She looked pointedly at Captain Anderson.

"It's a peaceful farming world, but it represents something much bigger. Eden Prime is one of our oldest and most successful colonies. It proved we were ready to face the challenges of settling new worlds, to forge a place for humanity beyond Earth. It symbolizes humanity's growth and evolution as a spacefaring species. And after this, it will be known as the world where humans made a discovery of galactic importance."

"Why is this beacon so important?"

Nihlus decided to field this question. "All advanced galactic civilization is based on Prothean technology; even yours."

"If we hadn't discovered those Prothean ruins on Mars, we'd still be stuck on Earth. That was just a small data cache. Who knows what we can learn from this beacon? What if it's a weapons archive? We can't let it fall into the wrong hands." Anderson wrung his hands together.

"Like who?" Alyss asked.

Nihlus remained silent.

"The Attican Traverse isn't the most stable sector of Citadel space. There are plenty of raiders and criminal groups active in the region. They might figure a Prothean beacon is worth the risk of attacking an Alliance ship. Plus, Eden Prime is right on the border of the Terminus Systems."

Alyss scrunched up her nose. "The Attican Traverse is under Citadel protection. If the Terminus Systems attack, it's an act of war."

"Technically, yes. But some of the species in the Terminus might be willing to start a war over this." Nihlus muttered.

"The last thing the Council wants is to get dragged into a major conflict with the Terminus Systems. We have to keep this low-key." Anderson cautioned.

Alyss understood completely. "Just give the word, Captain."

"We should be getting close to Eden–-" He began, before being interrupted by Joker's voice over the comm.

"Captain, we've got a problem."

"What's wrong, Joker?" Anderson asked.

"Transmission from Eden Prime, sir. You better see this!"

Captain Anderson frowned and nodded briefly. "Bring it up on screen."

A direct order.

An image popped up on the vid screen in the comm room directly over the heads of the three of them. It was low quality, with a low resolution and plenty of static. Multiple gunshots from various weapons could be heard in the background. Wasn't this supposed to be a simple grab-and-go mission? What the Hell had happened in the stretch of a few minutes?

A woman in pink and white armor ran towards the camera, pushing the head of the camera man down, as she yelled at everyone else to get down. The camera operator must have been terrified, as the camera never remained stationary for more than a few seconds; it moved wildly and the shots continued. For a moment there was nothing but a shaking screen and static then the face of a marine was visible.

"We are under attack!" The man yelled over the continued sounds of gunfire. "Taking heavy casualties! I repeat, heavy casualties! We can't–-eed evac—they came out of nowhere, we need—" The man fell to the ground, and the camera with him; taking a shot of two marines as it went down and something off in the distance.

It was hard enough to hear him over the gunshots, but with the constant static and shaking, Alyss was amazed she could pick anything out. What on Earth was happening down there? So much for the quick pick-up; there was no way they could just get in and get out without incident now. Something was sparking in the background and caught her attention for a brief instant, but just as quickly as it appeared it was gone.

"Everything cuts out after that. No comm. traffic at all." Joker said.

"Reverse and hold at 38.5." Anderson barked; and the vid returned to the shot of what had caught Alyss' attention…it looked like a giant, sparking insect—was it a ship? Nihlus' mandibles flicked out in confusion. "Status report!"

Joker's tone was his 'all business' façade again. "Seventeen minutes out, Captain. No other Alliance ships in the area."

"Take us in, Joker. Fast and quiet. This mission just got a lot more complicated." For now, it seemed like the scowl on Anderson's face was a permanent feature.

"A small strike team can move quickly, without drawing attention. It's our best chance to secure the beacon." Nihlus suggested; his tone meant business.

Alyss was glaring at the vid screen, where it was still paused on the giant, sparking insect. There was something about it that made her uneasy. Could a ship really get that size? It looked like 'the legs' were moving of their own accord as well. What the Hell? Was she just seeing things?

"Grab your gear and meet us in the cargo hold." He told Nihlus who nodded and turned to leave, as he looked sidelong at Alyss. "Tell Alenko and Jenkins to suit up, Commander. You're going in."

Alyss took one last look at the thing on the screen, and nodded, turning to walk away.

Captain Anderson was staring at the image as well. She took a deep breath, and reached up to pull up her hair; it was go time, and the last thing she needed was her hair to get in her face when she was shooting at something. She walked to the bridge, alerting Jenkins and Kaidan, and heading down to the shuttle bay grabbing her N7 helmet, and pulling it down on her head.

Her stomach twisted in knots—this was certainly more complicated than it should've been.


	7. The Death

**Author's note:**** So we lose someone this chapter. You all should know who it is if you've played the game. A little Shenko, and a little Mako humor. Some death and destruction here and there as well.**

**7. The Death**

The Normandy began its descent into orbit around Eden Prime, as Alyss and her team strapped their guns to their backs. While Alyss favored her pistol and shotgun, having a sniper rifle and an assault rifle for extra firepower was never a bad idea.

"Engaging stealth systems." Joker's voice rang out over the speakers in the cargo hold. "Somebody was doing some serious digging here, Captain."

"Your team's the muscle in this operation, Commander. Go in heavy and head straight for the dig site." Anderson ordered.

"What about survivors, Captain?" Lieutenant Alenko asked.

"Helping survivors is a secondary objective. The beacon's your top priority." Captain Anderson replied shaking his head sadly.

Alyss grimaced; After Elysium she tried not to leave anyone behind, and as high priority as the mission was, if she could help she planned to…orders be damned. She just hoped her team would be behind her one hundred percent, with that attitude.

"Approaching Drop Point One." Joker announced.

Jenkins glanced over his shoulders, hearing a click as Nihlus finished checking his gun. His excitement came back in waves. He really would get a chance to see the Spectre in action. Kaidan looked over too; Alyss was the only one not surprised, seeing as it was her skills he was observing, and kept her eyes forward. Nihlus walked past her to the bay doors.

"Nihlus, you're coming with us?" Jenkins inquired.

The Turian nodded briefly and did one more check on his shotgun. The last thing he needed was for it to jam on him. He pointed it out the open door towards the blood red horizon on Eden Prime. He started to jog out.

"I move faster on my own." Nihlus replied.

"Nihlus will scout out ahead, He'll feed you status reports throughout the mission; otherwise, I want radio silence." Anderson continued.

Alyss nodded briefly. "We've got his back, Captain."

"The mission's yours now, Shepard. Good luck."

"We are approaching Drop Point Two..." Joker interjected, bringing the Normandy down for the second landing party to get out.

Alyss wished that she could drive the Mako…she was crazy behind the wheel of that thing, but a bumpy ride—even if some of the tricks she pulled were a little bit on the dangerous side—was fun as Hell. She loved making people squirm a little when she was behind the wheel.

She jumped the short distance from the Normandy to the ground, and landed kneeling. She looked up into the red sky, searching for the ship, but there was a reddish haze blanketing everything, no matter where she looked. Sighing quietly, she stood, and pulled her pistol out of its holster. It was better to err on the side of caution.

"Ship perimeter secure, Commander!" Kaidan told her.

She nodded, tense with unease, and started jogging forward.

"This place got hit hard, Commander. Hostiles everywhere; keep your guard up." Nihlus' voice warned over her helmet radio.

She popped a barrier, coating herself in some biotic protection—an extra layer of defense, just in case they met something the shields in her suit couldn't handle. Kaidan had been watching her from the corner of his eye as he and Richard followed closely behind her. His heart fluttered with something that wasn't nervousness as he saw her bathed in that bluish purple light, remembering her in that miniskirt on her first night. He popped a barrier as well.

She slowed down when she spotted some sort of floating life form ahead of her, bubblegum pink and bulbous, with trailing brown tentacles. They were fascinating, and didn't seem to care about their presence one way or the other. She edged forward towards one nervously.

"What the hell are those?" Kaidan asked incredulously, voicing her thoughts exactly.

"Gas bags." Jenkins explained to them. "Don't worry—they're harmless."

The clear expanse of exposed ground they were running on, soon gave way to a fairly narrow path between two rocky ridges of land with two large glowing towers off to their left. They proceeded cautiously, moving from one outcropping of rock to the next, Alyss never wavering from being on point. If someone got hurt, she wanted it to be her. They found two bodies, charred nearly to the bone, laying on a large, flat rock. She stopped for an instant to examine them, as the horrid truth began to dawn on Jenkins.

"Oh, God. What happened here?" He cried.

Alyss wanted to reach out and hug him. For all she knew those could've been his friends or his family…coming home to it like this must've been hard on him. The two glittering towers that marked an encampment that should've held dozens of colonists now loomed ahead. Alyss fought the urge to turn and shield her companions from the bodies littering the ground ahead. They were grown men.

She heard something, and held up a hand for the two men to stop. She didn't see anything yet, but that didn't mean it wasn't there. She motioned to a low rock formation, meaning for them to take cover, as she did the same. Jenkins started forward first, griping his assault rifle. He screamed as a barrage of bullets ripped into him. He hit the ground with a thud.

Alyss bit her lip as she sprang out of covering firing a single shot into each of the synthetic drones as Kaidan released a powerful biotic throw against them. Alyss inhaled sharply, ignoring every wicked thought filling her head. He was powerful. She stood protectively over Jenkins as they exploded into a shower of fire and parts. They were recon drones, meaning there were most definitely more of them up ahead, but for now the perimeter was clear.

Kaidan knelt down behind her, over Jenkins' body, she turned and knelt too, as Kaidan drew Richard's eyelids down with his fingers so neither had to stare into those gentle eyes. She closed her eyes in silent prayer because she knew before Kaidan shook his head. Richard Jenkins was dead.

"Ripped right through his shields; never had a chance." Kaidan said.

The two of them stood up together. Kaidan looked so sad and Alyss just wanted to hold him and tell him that everything would be all right…it was a disastrous thought that she did her best to trample out. Jenkins and Kaidan had been friends, and she'd only known him for a few days—he had to be hurting more than she was. Her arms fell to her sides.

"We'll see that he receives a proper service when the mission is complete. But I need you to stay focused." Her voice was soft, but firm; they needed to keep moving.

"Aye, aye, ma'am." Kaidan replied, knowing she was right.

Oh, if he could do something to wipe that unhappy look off her face, Kaidan gladly would've tried anything. This amazingly beautiful and strong woman, obviously cared about people under her command, and losing someone didn't seem to sit right with her, even if she hadn't really known Richard at all.

They headed uphill, past more gas bags, and were now close enough to see smoke pouring out of all the buildings she'd been using as landmarks. Another squad of scout drones appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, and Kaidan felt reality warp under both of their biotics as they used them against their attackers; her powers were relentless: after warp, she let loose a full biotic throw, and then biotically charged at the final drone, while Kaidan hacked their systems, and shot them.

She wasn't going to lose anyone else.


	8. The Other

**Author's note:**** Oh, the dead one has now been replaced…that was quick. I even started this chapter off with some Shenko. More death and destruction…though that seems to be the whole plot of Eden Prime, doesn't it? We also get our gunnery chief, and get introduced to the husks.**

**8. The Other**

Kaidan stumbled, and Alyss practically ran to him, helping him into cover in case more recon drones were on the way. He had a gash on his calf he hadn't even noticed until he tried to run after her; she knelt beside him, and gently applied some medi gel. His heart careened against his ribcage at her touch.

"You okay?" She asked; her face filled with concern…for him.

"Yeah, just let it set for a minute, and I'll be good to go." He chuckled, trying to bring a smile to her face—it worked.

She beamed at him. "Good."

"I've got some burned out buildings here, Shepard. A lot of bodies…" Nihlus trailed off. "I'm going to check it out. I'll try to catch up with you at the dig site."

Alyss looked at Kaidan, who nodded, the medi-gel was working, and they could continue on. They found themselves in a woody grove, which would have been beautiful if it hadn't been for all the bodies and more drones. She dove behind a tree, and only popped out to fire a couple rounds into the latter, occasionally throwing in some biotics, instead of going full out this time. She kept Lieutenant Alenko in her peripheral vision.

Shepard suddenly noticed the sound of gunfire; it had taken her a few moments to determine what the sound was. They made their way over the rise and out of the trees both with their pistols still drawn. She hadn't lowered her weapon or her barrier since they'd touched down. A woman in pink and white armor was sprinting towards them…pursued by two drones.

The woman tripped; her foot caught on a piece of rock embedded in the ground poking up and as she fell, she barrel rolled onto her side. The woman pulled her pistol off her belt, and fired two shots into each drone, causing them to explode overhead. Alyss jogged forward, ready to lend a hand.

Nothing in her training could've prepared her for what she saw. There were two synthetics, holding a colonist and putting him on a strange tripod; he looked woozy like he was just waking up after being drugged…or like he was very happy to see the two things standing over him. No one saw the spike jutting up suddenly and impaling him through the heart coming.

The woman made a horrified noise, alerting the two synthetics to her presence as she ran to hide behind a rock in the hopes that they wouldn't see her, and Alyss swore under her breath. She needed help. Alyss charged biotically at the first, and shot it in its flashlight head when she was finished, as Alenko and the woman took down the second one. What the Hell was going on here?

"Thanks for your help, Commander. I didn't think I was going to make it." The woman saluted. "Gunnery Chief Ashley Williams of the 212. You the one in charge here, ma'am?"

Alyss nodded briefly. "Are you wounded, Williams?"

She shrugged and started pacing. "A few scrapes and burns; nothing serious. The others weren't so lucky. Oh, man…we were patrolling the perimeter when the attack hit. We tried to get off a distress call, but they cut off our communications. I've been fighting for my life ever since."

"Where's the rest of your squad?" Alyss asked, though she was already sure she knew the answer.

"We tried to double back to the beacon." Williams said, looking down sadly. "But we walked into an ambush. I don't think any of the others… I think I'm the only one left."

Alyss knew that look…the weight of the world and a dozen lives counting on you; it was a look of guilt—surviving and letting all those people down. To lose them was never fun…especially because it had all happened in about thirty minutes—some of her squad had still been alive when they received the distress call, and the Normandy had only been seventeen minutes away.

She'd had the same look when she hadn't saved all the colonists on Elysium.

"This isn't your fault, Williams. You couldn't have done anything to save them." Alyss tried to console her.

"Yes ma'am." She didn't sound convinced. "We held our position as long as we could…until the Geth overwhelmed us."

Alenko cocked his head to one side. "The Geth haven't been seen outside the Veil in nearly 200 years. Why are they here now?"

"They must have come for the beacon." Williams guessed. "The dig site is close. Just over that rise. It might still be there."

Shepard gave a half smile. "We could use your help, Williams."

"Aye, aye, ma'am. It's time for payback."

Alyss didn't want to aid in a petty and counter-productive revenge scheme, but it seemed that they were going to be fighting the Geth anyways—they didn't seem to want to talk things through. She definitely understood the chief's motives, however, and didn't feel the need to speak up.

"What else do you know about the Geth?"

"Just what I remember from history class back in school: they're synthetics; non-organic life-forms with limited AI programming created by the Quarians a few centuries ago. They were supposed to be a source of cheap labor, but ended up turning on the Quarians and drove them into exile. After that, they just kind of disappeared behind the Perseus Veil. Nobody's really heard much from them since." Williams replied.

Alyss knew that Williams thought it was a waste of time, but maybe there was something she could learn—like why the Geth were suddenly beyond the veil and what that insect-like ship was doing here. It didn't look like any Geth ship she'd ever seen back in history class. She hoped she got some answers…no matter how unsatisfactory they were; she felt like they were just giving her more questions.

"Tell me everything you know about the beacon." Alyss commanded.

Ashley looked around briefly. "They were doing some digging out here to extend the monorail and expand the colony. A few weeks ago they unearthed some Prothean ruins…and the beacon. Suddenly, every scientific expert in the colony was interested. That's when they brought us in to secure the site. I don't know much about the beacon itself. But I heard one of the researchers say this could be the biggest scientific discovery of the century."

Shepard furrowed her brow. "What happened to the researchers at the dig site?"

Williams shook her head. "I don't know. They set up camp near the beacon; the 232 was with them. Maybe their unit fared better than mine."

"Describe what happened leading up to the attack."

"We were sent out a couple nights ago from the main colony to secure the area. Seemed like a routine patrol until the Geth hit us. We never knew they were coming."

Alyss knew they should catch up with Nihlus, but maybe he'd crossed through here—he couldn't be that far ahead already could he? "Have you seen a Turian Spectre around here?"

"There aren't any Turians on Eden Prime…none that I've ever met. Not sure I'd be able to tell if one was a Spectre, anyway." Williams admitted.

Kaidan chuckled, making Alyss hold her breath. "If you saw this guy, you'd know; carries enough firepower to wipe out a whole platoon. Luckily, he's on our side."

"Sorry. Like I said, no Turians."

Alyss nodded briefly, silently releasing the breath she'd held. That would have to be enough for now…they needed to meet Nihlus at the spaceport, and it seemed unwise to keep him waiting any longer than she had to. She pointed with her shotgun.

"Move out." Alyss ordered.

The trio picked their way carefully, trying their best to be quiet and not draw attention to themselves. This place would never be the same, and everyone knew it. Everywhere one looked, there were those horrible spikes with bodies on them, bodies burned to a crisp strewn across the ground, and smoke billowing up into the red clouds.

"The beacon's at the far end of this trench." Ashley pointed out quietly.

The Geth hadn't taken any time moving in to secure the dig site. It seemed like they were only scouting out in small groups, so as to be less noticeable. At this rate finding survivors seemed like a slim-to-nothing chance, but she was still holding out hope. She used her pistol to get a headshot on the nearest of the Geth, as Kaidan hacked into the second's system, and Ashley riddled the third full of ammo.

As the last Geth fell, the three moved out of cover and walked into a small clearing. It was empty, but they were exactly where Williams had said they needed to be. Someone had moved the beacon—but whom? Alyss knelt to examine the circle of metallic material, but oddly enough, it felt like stone.

"This is the dig site. The beacon was right here. It must have been moved." Ashley confirmed.

"By who? Our side? Or the Geth?" Kaidan asked.

It was good to know that everyone was on the same page.

Ashley shrugged. "Hard to say. Maybe we'll know more after we check out the research camp."

"You think anyone got out of here alive?" Alyss stood and crossed her fingers; she was hoping.

Williams grimaced. "If they were lucky. Maybe hiding up in the camp. It's just on the top of this ridge, up the ramps."

"That man was still alive when they stuck him on that spike." Kaidan said, as they stood there for a second, checking their surroundings.

"Killing us isn't enough. The Geth want us to suffer." Ashley replied, checking her ammo.

The radio inside her helmet crackled to life before Alyss had a chance to respond. It had been a while since she'd heard from Nihlus; he must've found something very important to say, since they'd been ordered onto radio silence. She took a couple steps back from Alenko and Williams, just to make sure she could hear properly.

"Change of plans, Shepard. There's a small spaceport up ahead. I want to check it out. I'll wait for you there."

Alyss pointed up the ramp; Kaidan was on the same radio frequency and he heard everything. The camp came into sight as they reached the top of the ramp, but the Geth had clearly been here. They'd left some more impaled bodies to greet anyone who came after them—but these looked different.


	9. The Survivors

**Author's note:**** Still special thanks to Zevik—without his walkthrough this wouldn't have been possible. Shepard and Co. find their first surviviors… and Crazy Manuel has no idea how right he is…no one believes he can see the future, but us, the gamer knows he's right. Some more combat ensues.**

**9. The Survivors**

"Looks like they hit the camp hard." Williams stated.

"It's a good place for an ambush. Keep your guard up." Kaidan warned.

Alyss checked her pistol and her barrier—she'd almost forgotten it was still up; the strain of keeping a constant barrier was minimal and all too familiar. Something moved off to the left. Alyss whirled towards it, pistol raised in defense, however keeping herself from shooting in case it was a colonist…even if she assumed any survivors would be inside; away from the Geth. Another trio of spikes, each holding one of those different bodies, slowly came down from up in the air; they must've had a sensor or something in case someone got too close.

One of the bodies twitched.

"Oh, God!" Kaidan cried. "They're still alive!"

The spikes had fully lowered now, and the corpses pulled away from the tripods with an electrical residue, leaving behind small pieces of dried tissue. They began walking towards her squad. This was not going to end well—they didn't look like they wanted to talk either, and Alyss pulled out her shotgun; she was pretty sure they needed more firepower.

She hesitated. These things had been people once…but what were they now? Husks of what they once were; every critical piece was replaced with tech and machines…Whatever they were now, it was definitely not human.

"What did the geth _do_ to them?" Ashley yelled, incredulously.

"I know it's awful, but take them down!" Alyss ordered.

The trio of soldiers made quick work of the…husks…with just their side arms. All the machine parts didn't stop them from being dissolved by chemical, phasic, and incendiary rounds. The battle didn't take very long, and Alyss found herself straying towards the equipment sheds for the camp, to take cover and reload.

"Now we know what those spikes are for: turning our own dead against us." Kaidan muttered, looking around.

"That door. It's closed; security lock's engaged." Williams pointed out.

Alyss nodded. It was a good sign, those husks had seemed mindless, their only thought to overload their circuits and take her team down with them. They were not smart enough to close and lock a door, which meant they had just found their first survivors.

"Alenko, see what you can do with that would you?" Alyss asked.

"Yes, ma'am." He replied.

She was a little shaken up, but her façade exuded calm. A good soldier stayed cool under fire; meaning if she freaked out, her team would too, and she needed them both to keep their heads. Kaidan opened the lock with his omni-tool rather quickly, as she squared her shoulders, and walked up behind him to check his progress.

His breath hitched because of how close she was to him.

The door slid open, revealing a middle aged woman with close-cropped auburn hair and the uniform of an alliance researcher, wringing her hands together, and a disgruntled looking man with thinning light brown hair, about the same age. The woman looked tired and terrified, but as Alyss and company stepped through the door to the equipment shed, she visibly relaxed as she let out a sigh of relief.

"Humans! Thank the Maker!" She cried.

"Hurry! Close the door! Before they come back!" The male said his voice frantic.

Alyss held up a hand for silence. "Don't worry. We'll protect you."

"Thank you. I think we'll be okay now. It looks like everyone's gone." The woman told them, looking around.

Alyss heard some sounds outside, but none of them sounded close or threatening at present, and they'd destroyed the husks around the shed. A lot of soldiers had given up their lives to keep the colonists safe, and while the numbers sucked, Shepard was glad their sacrifice hadn't been in vain; these two at least, had survived.

"You're Dr. Warren, the one in charge of the excavation. Do you know what happened to the beacon?" Ashley asked; they did have a goal to accomplish.

"It was moved to the spaceport this morning. Manuel and I stayed behind to help pack up the camp. When the attack came, the marines held them off long enough for us to hide. They gave their lives to save us."

Shepard closed her eyes.

"No one is saved!" The man she'd noticed earlier cried. "The age of humanity is ended! Soon, only ruin and corpses will remain!"

"What else can you tell me about the attack?" Alyss asked; unnerved at the way the man looked at her.

"It all happened so fast. One second we were gathering up our equipment. The next we were hiding in the shed while the Geth swarmed over the camp." Dr. Warren explained.

"Agents of the destroyers. Bringers of darkness. Heralds of our extinction." Manuel hissed.

Alyss' heart went out to them. They'd had their world ripped apart in a matter of minutes, by a foe that hadn't been seen in the galaxy for two hundred years. Everyone they knew from the colony could be dead, or worse…a husk. Manuel ran a shaking hand through his hair.

"We could hear the battle outside. Gunfire. Screams. I thought it would never end. Then everything went quiet. We just sat there, too afraid to move. Until you came along."

Dr. Warren took a deep breath to steady herself—it had been a terrifying ordeal for civilians to have to go through, and if she could do something to ease their discomfort, Alyss would do everything in her power to help pull this dead paradise back together. No one deserved this.

"Did you notice a Turian in the area?" Alyss asked—the beacon was still the top priority and when they found the spaceport it had been moved to, they would find Nihlus.

"I saw him! The prophet. Leader of the enemy. He was here, before the attack." Manuel interrupted before Dr. Warren could answer.

"That's impossible." Kaidan recalled; his voice even and calm. "Nihlus was with us on the Normandy before the attack. He couldn't have been here."

Alyss bit her lip; he was absolutely right, which meant that for some reason, there was another Turian on a human colony. That in itself was odd, but the fact that he was leading the Geth, destroying everything in their path begged another question: What the Hell was in that beacon? It was obviously more than a data cache.

"I'm sorry. Manuel's still a bit…unsettled. We haven't seen your Turian. We've been hiding in here since the attack." Dr. Warren shook her head.

It was regrettable, but understandable, that they hadn't peeked out a window.

"Can you tell me anything about the beacon?"

Warren rubbed the back of her neck. "It's some type of data module from a galaxy-wide communications network. Remarkably well-preserved. It could be the greatest scientific discovery of our lifetime! Miraculous new technologies. Groundbreaking medical advances. Who knows what secrets are locked inside?"

"We have unearthed the heart of evil. Awakened the beast. Unleashed the darkness." Manuel muttered.

Dr. Warren turned to him sharply. "Manuel! Please! This isn't the time."

"What's wrong with your assistant?" Alyss couldn't avoid that question any more.

"Manuel has a brilliant mind, but he's always been a bit… unstable." She wrung her hands together again. "Genius and madness are two sides of the same coin."

"Is it madness to see the future? To see the destruction rushing towards us?' Manuel rambled on, shuddering with fear as he did so. "To understand there is no escape, no hope? No. I am not mad. I'm the only sane one left."

Dr. Warren shook her head. "I gave him an extra dose of his meds after the attack."

Shepard understood, though it probably wasn't the best idea. "Williams, take us to the spaceport."

"You can't stop it." Manuel continued. "No one can stop it. Night is falling. The darkness of eternity."

"Hush, Manuel." Dr. Warren ordered; her voice soft as the door slid closed behind Kaidan. "Go lie down. You'll feel better once the medication kicks in."


	10. The Villain

**Author's note:**** Still special thanks to Zevik—without his walkthrough this wouldn't have been possible. Here we meet our big bad, and I added some inner dialogue that you get as you go through the whole game, but I thought it wouldn't be nice to see into his inner workings here…some things I thought he would think and do. Also—there's another death.**

**10. The Villian**

Saren Arterius paced back and forth, watching and waiting. The Geth were planting demolition charges on the other platform, around the beacon, but it was taking too long. He'd seen the Alliance ship touch down, and drop people off. He needed to get there first to discover the location of the Conduit, and blow this human drenched world to smithereens.

His brother had been killed by humans at Shanxi, and he'd never forgiven the rotten species. He was one of the first Spectres, but when he'd found that ship, he'd started committing galactic wide crimes, in the hopes of bringing the Reapers back.

Nihlus had gotten far ahead; he was supposed to be waiting for Shepard to catch up, but he'd been curious and kept going. What the hell was taking her so long anyways? The mission parameters were clear: find and secure the beacon—nothing else mattered. He heard something and dove into cover, his shotgun at the ready.

He stood up slowly, ready to fire a shot into the head of whoever was pacing at the spaceport, but as the figure turned slightly, he lowered his gun. He relaxed.

"Saren?" Nihlus asked.

The tiny enhancements Saren had, allowed him to hear the footsteps, but not know who it was. Nihlus had been his friend before, but he didn't need friends now—not with his rise to power so close. It was regrettable that it had come to this, but nothing was going to stop him. He turned around.

"Nihlus."

"This isn't your mission, Saren." There was a hint of annoyance and confusion in his voice. "What are you doing here?"

Saren walked forward, and put his hand on Nihlus' shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"The Council thought you could use some help on this one." Saren told him, the lie coming to him immediately.

Nihlus turned and surveyed the area. There were husks impaled everywhere, and only smoking ruins remained of the once beautiful colony. Nihlus shook his head, unable to see the emotions flicking across Saren's face as he stood behind his old friend, the two back to back, like old times—only this time Saren wasn't protecting Nihlus'. He couldn't decide how he wanted to handle the situation.

"I wasn't expecting to find the Geth here." Nihlus muttered. "The situation's bad."

"Don't worry." Saren said, turning to face his friend's back and drawing his shotgun silently and single-handedly, pointing it at the back of Nihlus' head. "I've got it under control."

He squeezed the trigger.

Saren wasted no time high tailing it onto the train, and moving to the other platform. Nihlus' second strike team must've been hot onto his trail. He stepped off the train, and approached the nearest Geth. He looked around to admire their handiwork for a second before he spoke.

"Set the charges. Destroy the entire colony. Leave no evidence that we were here." He ordered.

The Geth tilted its head in acknowledgement, and Saren walked angrily over to the beacon and activated it. He felt himself being lifted into the air, but he'd been prepared for this, for a good long while. When he finished, he made his way to his ship, and took off, leaving the Geth behind to clean up.


	11. The Smugglers

**Author's note:**** Still special thanks to Zevik—without his walkthrough this wouldn't have been possible. The second equipment shed with the decryption lock reveals yet more survivors, but these ones have a horrible secret. Play it right and they'll give you a lot of useful stuff. Also it's a little time cross, between the beginning of this chapter and the end of the last, I had to do a little back track.**

**11. The Smugglers**

Alyss heard the shot, from where she and her team were, on the ridge just above the spaceport. She knew the sound very well, but so far that was the only single shot fired—the Geth and her squad fired multiple times—something was wrong. They rounded the corner, and paused...there it was; the insect-like ship she'd seen in the distress vid. It was slowly rising up, like its purpose here was complete…were they too late?

"What is that?" Kaidan asked.

"It's a ship!" Williams cried, awed. "Look at the size of it!"

It was rising faster than something of its size should have been able to, red smoke trailing off of it. It most definitely looked like some kind of vehicle…but it was huge; was ship really the right word for it? A shot exploded against her barrier, and she looked down, pulling her attention from the ascending ship. Geth and husks were swarming over the spaceport, and making their way towards her squad.

One of the husks grabbed Kaidan—Alyss hadn't even seen it appear, her pistol trained on the Geth. Not him! Alyss fired shot after shot into the husk and she swore under her breath when her pistol overheated…she ran up to the husk and bashed it in the back of the head with the butt of her gun. Normally she was very careful to watch the heat meter on her weapons…she was getting sloppy, and almost lost Kaidan because of it.

When the last Geth fell, Shepard let out a sigh of relief, and she and Williams walked over to Kaidan to check him for injuries. Neither of them had seen the husk coming for some reason, and both wanted to make sure the lieutenant was okay. He holstered his pistol as he brushed himself off.

"You all right, Alenko?" Shepard asked.

Kaidan nodded slowly. "Yeah I think so. Thanks for the save, Commander."

His smile made her heart palpitate.

"Any time, Lieutenant." She said, absently staring past him.

She could see the red glare of a security lock engaged on another storage shed. Thank God, there were more survivors. She made her way carefully to the shed, and motioned to it wordlessly. Kaidan nodded, and his arm glowed orange. He typed on it furiously for a moment, and there was an acknowledging beep from the door. It slid open.

"Everybody stay calm out there. We're coming out. We're not armed." A male voice warned from the back of the shed.

Two mean, one with dark brown hair and a goatee, one cleanly shaven, and a women in a beanie stepped out of the shed, hands raised in the air. A gesture of surrender. Her team holstered their guns, seeing no sign of the Geth at the moment—as well as trying not to scare the colonists any more than they had to.

"Is it safe? Are they gone?" The woman asked, looking around frantically.

"You're okay now. Nobody's going to hurt you." Alyss promised.

"Those things were crawling all around the shed. They would've found us for sure. We owe you our lives." The clean shaven man sighed with relief, as he rubbed the back of his neck and the other man wiped the sweat from his brow.

"I—I still can't believe it. When we saw that ship I thought it was all over." The woman admitted, holding her head.

"It showed up right before the attack. Knew it was trouble the second I saw it; so we made a break for the sheds." The clean shaven man said.

"Tell me everything you remember about the attack." Alyss told him.

He wrung his hands together. "The three of us were working the crops when that ship showed up. We just saw it and ran. I don't know what happened to the rest of the crew."

The bearded man pointed. "They were over by the garage; over near the spaceport. Right where that ship came down…no way they survived."

"You don't know that! We survived. If they made it to the garage, they could've had a fighting chance!" The woman cried, shaking her head.

Alyss nodded, taking it all in. "Do you know anything about the Prothean beacon they dug up?"

The clean shaven man scratched his head. "We're just farmers. We heard they found something out there, but it never really mattered to us. Not until now."

"What else can you tell me about the ship you saw?" Shepard asked.

He rubbed the back of his neck again. "I was too busy running to get a clear look at it. I think it landed over near the spaceport."

"Tell them about the noise, Cole. That awful noise." The woman encouraged.

"It was emitting some kind of signal as it descended; sounded like the shriek of the damned. Only it was coming from inside your own head." Cole continued.

"It was probably trying to block communications." Shepard muttered.

Alyss dipped her head in thought; sounded like a jamming signal…only a bit different. There was no need to worry them; she'd never heard of a jamming signal sounding like that and coming from someone's own head, but they would probably never have to deal with it again after that day.

"Whatever it was, felt like it was tearing right through my skull…almost made it impossible to think."

"I have to go." Alyss began to turn away.

"Hey, Cole…we're just a bunch of farmers. These guys are soldiers; maybe we should give them the stuff." The bearded man suggested.

Kaidan, Alyss and Ashley turned back, curious.

Cole rounded on his friend. "Geez, Blake. You gotta learn when to shut up!"

"You have something to tell me, Cole?" She pointed, intimidatingly at him.

He held up his hands in surrender. He didn't want any trouble with the three very well armed people in front of him. Blake shrugged sheepishly behind Cole, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment—he hadn't meant for a confrontation.

"Some guys at the spaceport were running a small smuggling ring. Nothing major. In exchange for a cut of the profits, we let them store packages in our sheds." Cole admitted.

Shepard shook her head in disgust; smuggling was a crime…not as serious as genocide or murder, but still a crime. The things people did just to make a tidy little profit sometimes amazed her.

"You're breaking the law, Cole."

"We're not hurting anybody! Hell, most of the time, I don't even know what's in the packages. I just thought there might be something we could use." Cole cried, defensively. "I found a pistol. Figured it would come in handy if those things came back. But you'll probably get more use out of it than we will."

"We're risking our lives to save this colony. You sure there's nothing else in here that could help us out?" Alyss inquired.

Cole nodded slowly and reluctantly. "Yeah, there's one more thing. I was going to sell it after this was over. But you probably deserve it more than I do."

"Who's your contact at the spaceport, Cole? What's his name?" Williams asked, as Cole handed Shepard some armoring upgrades.

Jenkins and the whole of Ashley's squad could have used those upgrades.

"He's not a bad guy; I don't want to get him in trouble. Besides, I'm not a snitch!

"He might have something to do with this whole attack, Cole. We need his name. It's important.' Alyss assured him, keeping her voice level.

"Yeah, okay. You're right. His name's Powell; Works the docks at the spaceport…if he's still alive." Cole sighed, resignedly.

Shepard reached out and put a hand on his shoulder. "Thank you, get to safety…we cleared the way back, and there are a couple other survivors near the dig site. See if you can find them, and stay bunkered down until someone sends out an 'all clear' okay?"

The three farmers nodded silently.

"Good luck." Cole whispered.

Shepard motioned to her squad to move out, and refreshed her barrier as she pulled out her shotgun. They made their way down the steep terrain, and walked up a set of steps. There was an all too familiar body lying at the top on the spaceport platform. Kaidan inhaled sharply as they approached it.

"Commander, its Nihlus." He confirmed.


	12. The Push

**Author's note:**** Still special thanks to Zevik—without his walkthrough this wouldn't have been possible. Well, we're almost to the end of Eden Prime, as well as the end of my post able chapters. I'm currently only on the Normandy just after the beacon exploded, but I'm trying to work hard and churn them out…I almost didn't want to post until I was done, with the first game, but it's really for a friend.**

**12. The Push**

There was a noise.

"Something's moving! Over behind those crates!" Ashley pointed out.

The three of them raised their guns, pointing towards the source of the noise. Someone screamed briefly and a man in a black beanie stood up, hands up in a placated surrender. Alyss immediately lowered her gun; it was another survivor, and she didn't plan on shooting him, no matter how much he'd startled the three of them. Hopefully he'd seen exactly what had transpired that had ended up with Nihlus lying dead on the ground, a single gunshot to the back of the head…that had been the single shot, she knew now.

"Wait! Don't—don't shoot! I'm one of you! I'm human." The man cried.

"Sneaking up on us like that nearly got you killed!" Alyss didn't sugar-coat it.

The man shifted his weight to his other foot. "I…I'm sorry. I was hiding from those creatures. My name's Powell. I saw what happened to that Turian. The other one shot him."

"I need to know how Nihlus died." Shepard stated, calmly.

"The other one got here first. He was waiting when your friend showed up. He called him Saren…I think they knew each other. Your friend seemed to relax. He let his guard down…and Saren killed him. Shot him right in the back. I'm just lucky he didn't see me behind the crates." Powell explained.

The loss of Nihlus was regrettable. How was she supposed to explain to the council that the Spectre they'd sent to evaluate her was killed while she was nowhere around, because she'd been trying to locate survivors…as well as taking on Husks and Geth around every corner? Hell she'd liked Nihlus—but like Jenkins, there would be time to mourn later.

Right now they needed to find to beacon, seeing as it was nowhere around the spaceport.

"We were told a Prothean beacon was being brought to the spaceport. What happened to it?"

"It's over on the other platform, probably where that guy Saren was headed. He hopped on the cargo train right after he killed your friend." He leaned on the crate in front of him. "I knew that beacon was trouble. Everything's gone to hell since we found it. First, that damn mother ship showed up…then the attack. They killed everyone. Everyone! If I hadn't been behind the crates, I'd be dead, too!"

"How come you're the only one that survived?" Shepard asked—something didn't add up. "Why didn't anyone else try to hide behind the crates?"

The color drained from Powell's face.

"They never had a chance." He admitted. "I… I was already behind the crates when the attack started."

"Wait a minute." Alenko said. "You were hiding behind the crates before the attack?"

Powell bit his lip nervously. "I… sometimes I need a nap to get through my shift. I sneak off behind the crates to grab forty winks where the supervisor can't find me."

"You survived because you're lazy?" Ashley spat angrily.

"If you hadn't snuck off for that nap, you'd probably be dead just like all the others." It wasn't a pleasant fact of life, but sometimes the worst intentions had the best result.

Powell nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, I guess. I don't really want to think about it."

Alyss had avoided the issue long enough. "You're Cole's contact here on the docks; for the smuggling ring."

Powell used the crates to push himself up into a fully standing position, his eyes darting around wildly—probably trying to figure out why Cole had given up his name. She knew he was going to try to lie; she could see it in his body language and crossed her arms over her chest and set her mouth in a thin line. She hoped they could do this the easy way.

"What? No!" He stared at her for a moment, and threw his hands up in defeat. "I mean…what does it matter now? So I'm a smuggler. Who cares? My supervisor's dead. The entire crew's dead. It doesn't matter now, does it?"

"Anything hidden nearby that we could use against the Geth?"

He nodded. "A shipment of grenades came through last week. Nobody notices if a few small pieces go missing from the military orders."

Ashley glared at him and shook her head in disgust. "You greedy son of a bitch! We're out here trying to protect your sorry ass and all you can think about is how you can rip us off?!"

Shepard closed her eyes in silent horror—how many of the marines had died unnecessarily because they didn't have grenades or proper armor upgrades? What the Hell was wrong here? They'd done nothing but sacrifice themselves for the colonists, and it didn't seem like they cared if the soldiers lived or died. She was fuming with anger, just under the surface.

"I never thought you'd actually need those grenades! Who'd want to attack Eden Prime? We're just a bunch of farmers! How was I supposed to know?" Powell cried.

Williams advanced menacingly, but Alyss held out her hand to stop her.

"Forget about him. He's not worth it." She urged.

"You're lucky the commander's here, Powell. Hand over those grenades." Williams ordered.

"They're yours. Take them. My smuggling days are over. I swear." Powell capitulated, reaching down to pick up a bunch of grenades and handing them over.

"A lot of marines died here, Powell. Those grenades could have come in handy. If I were you, I'd think of some way I could make it up to them." Shepard added.

He hung his head in shame. "Yeah, okay. There is something else I was saving; could be worth a fortune…experimental technology—top of the line. Take it. I don't need it. I didn't want anyone to get hurt. Really, I'm sorry."

That wasn't what Alyss had meant at all, but he really didn't deserve anything. She reached out and took the weapon upgrade he was offering. She glared silently for a moment at the things in her hands—things that could have saved dozens of lives if they'd been in the right hands. But instead some greedy colonists had taken them to try to make some extra money.

"Tell me about the Geth attack." Alyss barked; she was absolutely sick of this place.

"It was quick. One minute, that ship was descending. The next, those Geth were swarming over the platform, thousands of them. They must have been inside that mother ship. They shot anything that moved. It was a massacre."

"Is there anything else you can tell me about the beacon?"

"They brought it here this morning. We loaded it up onto the train and shipped it to the other platform." Powell shook his head in disbelief. "Hard to believe that was only a few hours ago. Feels like a whole other life."

No one had been able to tell her much about the vessel that had brought the Geth—they called it a mother ship, and knew it emitted a horrible signal, but nothing else. No one could tell her where it had come from, or how a Spectre had come into its possession. Hopefully someone somewhere could explain the details to her…eventually.

"Tell me about this 'mother ship' you saw." She prompted.

"I've never seen anything like it before. It—it was huge. Landed over near that platform…the whole place got dark as it came down. And—and it was making this noise, this—sound that bored right into your brain. That's what woke me up. The attack came a few minutes later."

"We need to find that beacon before it's too late." Alyss muttered.

She motioned for her squad to move out…she'd follow in a moment.

"Take the cargo train. That's where the other Turian went." At least he was trying to be helpful now. "I… I can't stay here. I need to get away from all this."

He turned to walk away and waved absently over his shoulder without turning around. Shepard couldn't say she was unhappy to see him go—the sooner they got off this planet, the better she'd feel. So they needed to finish the mission—fast. She followed her squad and they ran into a few more Geth, dispatching them easily, before loading themselves onto the tram.

Alyss activated the train controls.


	13. The Beacon

**Author's note:**** Still special thanks to Zevik—without his walkthrough this wouldn't have been possible. OMG, we're here! At the beacon! A lot more Shenko this chapter and the most so far in chapter 15. I did it on purpose. However fifteen is in progress…**

**13. The Beacon**

As the tram approached the spaceport platform, four warning blips appeared on Shepard's heads-up display. Baradium…Alyss knew enough about explosives to know that the ones just off the train were rather large. She located the source of one blip before stepping off and realized that Kaidan saw it too, as they both made a beeline for it.

"Demolition charges! The Geth must have planted them!" He had to yell to be heard over the sound of the tram.

"Hurry—we need to find them all and shut them down!" Ashley replied.

"Split up! Alenko you take the two closest to us, and I'll take the two farthest ones. Williams keep the Geth off us." Alyss ordered, pulling her shotgun off her back.

"Aye, Aye ma'am!" The two said in unison.

Any Geth She encountered on her way to the two far bombs, Alyss shot with her shotgun. She knelt down by the first bomb, and rewired it as fast as she could, without compromising safety. Better to rewire it to do no harm, than just disarm in case someone tried to activate it later, before the Alliance could clean up.

A sniper rifle bullet zoomed past her into the head of an approaching Geth. Williams definitely had her back. She looked back and gave her a quick nod, and saw Kaidan typing furiously on his omni tool. When the last Geth fell, and the final bomb flickered off, Alyss sat back on her haunches for a second and sighed in relief. The colony was saved.

Those last five minutes had gone by in a blur.

"Let's go!" She called, as she stood up.

Williams and Alenko appeared behind her, both with weapons ready. She nodded to them and the trio headed down a ramp only to encounter two husks and a couple more Geth. She could see the beacon—it was so close now. A biotic charge and her shotgun were all she needed to take down the husks, as Alenko and Williams tag-teamed on the Geth.

The beacon loomed ahead of her. She approached it carefully: a gleaming metal structure that ended abruptly in a jagged edge about twelve feet above the ground. It was surrounded by a pulsing green aura, and a small thin green beam was shooting out the top.

She walked over to the railing and looked out over the destruction rained down on the planet in less than an hour. Ashley and Kaidan joined her and leaned over the railing. It was god-awful what the Geth had done to this once-beautiful planet…that damned beacon had better have been worth all the mayhem it caused. Smoke rose from the charred and cracked red ground.

"My God. It's like someone dropped a bomb." Ashley hissed.

"That must be where the Geth ship landed." Kaidan surmised.

Shepard tapped her communicator, turning away from the artifact and the destruction. "Normandy, the beacon is secure. Request immediate evac."

"Roger that, Commander. Normandy en route for pickup." Joker replied over her helmet radio.

"This is amazing. Actual working Prothean technology. Unbelievable!" Kaidan said, staring at the beacon in awe.

Ashley stood next to Kaidan, as Alyss continued on her headset radio.

"It wasn't doing anything like that when they dug it up." She turned and walked away, waiting for Shepard to have a moment to talk.

"Something must have activated it." Kaidan muttered.

"Roger, Normandy. Standing by." Shepard replied.

She turned around again to find Ashley facing her, as Kaidan continued staring at the beam, Williams' mouth opened to talk to the woman who saved her life. Kaidan took a step forward, inexplicably drawn to the beacon. The aura seemed to reach out and grab him, pulling him towards the beam. Kaidan tried to break free, but he had nothing to grab onto to stop himself from being dragged forward.

"Commander, I—" Ashley began her back to the situation.

If she could have stayed to listen she would have, but she ran past Ashley, bumping her shoulder accidentally as she did so, and sprinted to Kaidan's side. He was holding his head in pain. Her arms closed around him, and though it felt nice, she didn't have time to dwell on it as she looked around frantically, feeling the beacon pulling at her too.

All she could do was throw Kaidan off to the side.

"Shepard!" Kaidan cried, trying to get to her, but Ashley held him back.

"No! Don't touch her! It's too dangerous!" Ashley told him, pulling him to his feet.

They could only watch in horror.

Shepard's head was on fire, and she grabbed it briefly, before the beacon got a hold of her, lifting her off the ground. She heard Kaidan call out her name, but couldn't move or do anything to assure him she was all right. Her back arched of its own accord. Nothing she'd ever done had prepared her for the pain, the screams, and the images that flashed before her eyes. They were fragmented, and out of order, and she couldn't place what exactly she was seeing.

When the beacon released her, she hit the ground hard, and Kaidan broke free of Ashley's grip, running over to her. He gently turned her over and cradled her head in his lap; she was breathing at least—that was always a good sign. What had he done? Had he destroyed that beautiful, fiery, and independent woman with his curiosity? If anything happened to her, he'd never forgive himself.


	14. The Threat

**Author's note:**** Still special thanks to Zevik—without his walkthrough this wouldn't have been possible. This chapter is just more insight into Saren…if you're only here for Shenko, this chapter is not for you—check back later. Chapter 15 has some. By being exceedingly thorough there were little tiny things you pick up on that no one else does…I tried to include that in this chapter.**

**14. The Threat**

Saren sat in the dark, alone. His fingertips were flat against one another, his hands in front of his mouth which was set in a thin line. Sovereign pulled away from Eden Prime faster than a normal ship should have been able, but he knew the Geth had failed to demolish Eden Prime.

There was the metallic click of heels on metal, and he knew she approached. The beacon on Eden Prime had been a major victory, which had brought them closer to finding the conduit, and one step closer to the return of the reapers. As long as he continued to do good work like this, Sovereign, would continue to find him useful.

Failure was not an option.

Benezia cleared her throat, and placed her arms behind her back—standing at full attention. "We identified the ship that touched down on Eden Prime. The Normandy. A human Alliance vessel. It was under the command of Captain Anderson. They managed to save the colony."

Anderson…he should have known.

Saren put one hand over his face, deep in thought. Humans…why did they have to be everywhere? Was it not enough that they had killed his brother at Shanxi? This was why he was working with the Reapers—the humans would never submit to Reaper rule, and they'd be wiped out when the Reapers came to town. A fitting end.

"And the beacon?" Saren asked.

"One of the humans may have used it." Benezia continued.

Saren jumped up. This kind of slip up was not to be tolerated. He couldn't have someone…a human someone…dogging his steps trying to foil him. He would bring the Reapers back, and this human was only going to get in the way. He growled in anger, as he stomped about and threw a few things, Benezia barely shifted to avoid being hit. His tirade ended only when he grabbed Matriarch Benezia's face—she still exuded calm.

"This human must be eliminated." Saren hissed, as he took a deep breath to calm himself.

He released her face, and took a step back. She'd sat through the whole thing completely unfazed…which is why he needed someone like her in his corner…for now. Everyone was expendable.


	15. The Moment

**Author's Note:**** Okay sorry that took so long. Neither walkthrough I found had the quote I was looking for…sometimes my Paragon chooses the neutral option because it doesn't sound as weird, and all the walkthroughs for a Paragon always choose the top option, or don't finish asking the questions, so I had to load a save at the beacon for the dialogue I chose. This Chapter starts off with a lot of Shenko…well not a lot, just more than the previous chapters. :P Special Thanks to Zevik140 and SuperShackD for their walkthroughs. :D**

**15. The Moment**

Kaidan hadn't moved from Shepard's side since he'd carried her onto the Normandy. He was exhausted, but he needed to know that she was all right…without thinking her reached out to take her hand, but realized what he was doing and quickly took it back. Shepard's eyes fluttered opened and she groaned. She was on a bed in the med bay, lying on her back.

Kaidan was at her side instantly.

"Doctor?" Alenko called. "Doctor Chakwas? I think she's waking up."

She could definitely get used to hearing Kaidan's voice first thing when she woke up.

Alyss swung her legs over the side of the bed and finally sat, up but she felt light-headed and put her face in her palm. She didn't remember returning to the Normandy, and must've been out cold. She shook her head slightly, and rubbed her eyes, trying to wake up. Dr. Chakwas strode over to her.

"You had us worried there, Shepard." Dr. Chakwas stated, as she stood next to the bed, as Kaidan took a couple steps back and crossed his arms over his chest. "How are you feeling?"

Shepard pinched the bridge of her nose. "Minor throbbing. Nothing serious. How long was I out?"

"About fifteen hours. Something happened down there with the beacon, I think." Chakwas continued.

"It's my fault." Kaidan said from behind her. "I must have triggered some kind of security field when I approached it. You had to push me out of the way."

That was not how Alyss had wanted to end up with her arms around Kaidan Alenko, that was for damned certain—she would have preferred something of a more…intimate nature. She even vaguely remembered him holding her close to him—though that could have been her imagination playing tricks on her while she was sleeping.

"You had no way to know what would happen." She reassured him.

Kaidan smiled slightly, and Alyss caught it out of the corner of her eye. Her heartbeat quickened.

"Actually, we don't even know if that's what set it off." Dr. Chakwas had ruined _that_ private moment. "Unfortunately, we'll never get the chance to find out."

Alenko walked forward and stood in front of Shepard. She forced herself to look at and focus on his face, not his muscles or the way he filled out his uniform in all the right ways, and she also refrained from allowing her brain to memorize his features—how the Hell was she supposed to focus with a subordinate like him around? She was pretty sure this went beyond mere lust…she'd never been this way around any other good looking guy—under her command or not. His words sunk in and she raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow in confusion.

"The beacon exploded." Kaidan explained. "System overload, maybe. The blast knocked you cold, and I had to carry you back here to the ship."

It hadn't been her imagination after all. He'd held her, and she'd been unconscious and had no idea. Curse that beacon—she'd probably never know what it felt like for the lieutenant to have his arms around _her_; he was her subordinate, and she was his commanding officer. She sighed.

"I appreciate it." She told him and he nodded.

He would never admit that when he was holding her, it felt like she belonged in his arms.

"Physically, you're fine. But I detected some unusual brain activity, abnormal beta waves." Chakwas continued, crossing her arms over her chest. "I also noticed an increase in your rapid eye movement. Those are signs typically associated with intense dreaming."

Intense dreaming indeed—more like a vision.

"I saw—I'm not sure what I saw." Alyss shook her head slowly. "Death. Destruction. Nothing's really clear."

Dr. Chakwas nodded. "Hmmm. I better add this to my report. It may—oh, Captain Anderson."

Alyss hopped down off the bed immediately, her arm brushing lightly against Kaidan's. She crossed her arms over her chest briefly as she leaned against the bio bed for a moment, but thought better of it and dropped her hands to her sides. She stood up straight, as the captain approached her. He nodded to Alenko and looked directly at the good doctor. He wanted to make sure his protégé was fit for duty before he tried to piece together what had happened down at the spaceport. Things did not look good.

"How's our XO holding up, Doctor?" He asked.

"All the readings look normal." Doctor Chakwas assured him. "I'd say the commander's going to be fine."

"Glad to hear it." He turned to face Alyss. "Shepard, I need to speak with you—in private."

Alenko took the hint and saluted. "Aye, aye, Captain. I'll be in the mess if you need me."

With one last look at Alyss who smiled at him slightly, and nodded to him—she was trying to reassure him that she was fine, and none of this was his fault, with that single look. The corners of his mouth twitched upwards and he and Chakwas fell in step as they left the room. Captain Anderson waited briefly to make sure they were out of earshot before continuing.

"Sounds like that beacon hit you pretty hard, Commander. You sure you're okay?"

Shepard shrugged. No, she wasn't—she couldn't get those images out of her head. It was almost like they were meant to be something more than a dream—something with a bigger purpose in the grander scheme of things. But that wasn't what he'd asked. Her mind flashed to standing over Jenkins' body as she and the lieutenant fought his killers…she'd promised a proper burial.

"Intel dropped the ball, sir. We had no idea what we were walking into down there. That's why things went to Hell." Alyss pointed out, pissed off beyond belief as the memory resurfaced.

"Shepard, Geth haven't been seen outside the veil in two centuries. Nobody could have predicted this." He replied.

Anderson had remained calm in the face of her anger, and she backed down, sighing. She wasn't mad at Nihlus, God rest his soul; she wasn't mad at Anderson or the marine units on the surface; and she wasn't even really mad that she'd walked her squad in blind…she just wished she hadn't lost anyone. That was really what it all boiled down to. Jenkins had died on her watch.

"I don't like soldiers dying under my command." She admitted.

Anderson reached out, and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Jenkins wasn't your fault; you did a good job, Shepard."

Shepard wasn't convinced, but nodded grimly; her brain was still fuzzy but she had a few concerns to lay to rest. "What about Gunnery Chief Williams? Did we leave her back on Eden Prime?"

He shook his head. "I figured we could use a soldier like her. She's been reassigned to the Normandy."

She wasn't expecting that, exactly. Her transfer had been quick and painless, but that was because of the Blitz and her Spectre candidacy. However, Alyss wholeheartedly approved. Williams had been crucial to the mission down on Eden Prime, and a permanent place on the Normandy was where she belonged. She'd earned it.

"Williams is a good soldier. She deserves it."

The captain chuckled. "Lieutenant Alenko agrees with you. That's why I added her to our crew."

"You said you needed to see me in private, Captain?"

Anderson clasped his hands behind his back, grimacing. "I won't lie to you, Shepard. Things look bad. Nihlus is dead. The beacon was destroyed and Geth are invading. The Council's going to want answers."

"I didn't do anything wrong, Captain." Alyss stated; she certainly hadn't taken any actions that she thought would harm the beacon. "Hopefully, the Council will be able to see that."

It wasn't entirely true, but the loss of her crew member wouldn't be important to the Council. Sure soldiers died, and they knew the risks when signing up, but not a one really thought about death until they were faced with it. She didn't see how she could have prevented his death…it was just bad timing, bad luck, and no biotic barriers protecting him.

The Captain turned away and started pacing. "I'll stand behind you and your report, Shepard. You're a damned hero in my books. That's not why I'm here. It's Saren, that other Turian. Saren's a Spectre, one of the best; a living legend. But if he's working with the Geth, it means he's gone rogue. A rogue Spectre's trouble. Saren's dangerous. And he hates humans."

She sensed something personal in his tone, along with a smidgen of fear.

"Why?"

He stopped pacing and looked at her hard. "He thinks we're growing too fast, taking over the galaxy. A lot of aliens think that way…most of them don't do anything about it." Alyss knew there was probably more to the story that even Anderson didn't know but she kept her mouth shut, and let him continue. "Saren has allied himself with the Geth. I don't know how. I don't know why. But it had something to do with that beacon. You were there just before the beacon self-destructed. Did you see anything? Any clue that might tell us what Saren was after?"

Shepard bit her lip. It wasn't conclusive proof of anything…what she needed was hard evidence if they were going to do anything about this rogue Spectre…she knew enough to know the Council wouldn't accept less, if Saren really was their top agent. She leaned back against the medical bed, arms crossed once more.

"Just before I lost consciousness, I had some kind of vision."

"A vision? A vision of what?" Anderson asked, with a sense of urgency…it looked like he was about to start pacing again.

At least he wasn't calling her crazy.

"I saw synthetics—Geth, maybe—slaughtering people. Butchering them." Alyss shrugged slightly.

She knew it was more than a dream or a nightmare…no images she'd ever seen in her sleep before had been so disjointed and vivid; it was almost as if she could feel, smell, and taste everything, instead of just seeing and hearing them. The things didn't look like any organics she'd ever seen and something was off about the synthetics. But she had a feeling.

"We need to report this to the Council, Shepard." Anderson stressed.

Alyss snorted in derision. "What are we going to tell them? I had a bad dream?"

That wasn't going to fly for anybody.

"We don't know what information was stored in that beacon. Lost Prothean technology? Blueprints for some ancient weapon of mass destruction? Whatever it was, Saren took it." He wrung his hands together as he took a step forward, towards her. "But, I know Saren. I know his reputation, his politics. He believes humans are a blight on the galaxy. This attack was an act of war! He has the secrets from the beacon, he has an army of Geth at his command, and he won't stop until he's wiped humanity from the face of the galaxy!"

And there it was; confirmation of what she'd figured out from his earlier tone: Captain Anderson and Saren had a history. One so horrible, it seemed, that he'd decided they should tell the Council about her dream, without some substantial proof backing it up, despite his better judgment. Alyss gritted her teeth.

"I'll find some way to take him down." Her tone was a lot more confident than she felt.

Anderson shook his head. "It's not that easy. He's a Spectre. He can go anywhere, do almost anything. That's why we need the Council on our side."

She fully understood what he was getting at. "We prove Saren's gone rogue and the Council will revoke his Spectre status."

"I'll contact the ambassador and see if he can get us an audience with the Council. He'll want to see us as soon as we reach Citadel. We'll be there shortly, and when we get there, head up to the bridge and tell Joker to bring us in to dock." He ordered.

"Understood, Sir."

Alyss smiled and inclined her head in his direction, and he turned heel and left her alone in the med bay. Since she had some time, she decided to go talk to Williams and see how she was settling in, and maybe have a chat with Kaidan while she was at it. The latter was a disastrous idea, but she welcomed the distraction.


	16. The Complications

**Author's Note:**** So I decided it would be better if I combined the conversations between Ashley and Kaidan after you leave the Med Bay into one giant conglomeration. I had to rearrange it to help it flow better, but I hope you guys like it better this way. There's some allusions to Shenko, as well as a dip into Chakwas' background. ENJOY!**

**16. The Complications**

Shepard walked out of the medical bay after the captain, stopping to use the laptop by the door and type up her report. When she finished and saved it, she stretched as she stood up; she hated the paper pushing part of her job. She made her way to the medi-gel storage and grabbed a couple of extras to add to her gear, in her locker, when she got out to it—it was just outside.

Dr. Chakwas was lounging against the wall by Alyss' locker. They hadn't had much of a chance to talk before the mission, because Jenkins was too busy prattling on about Spectres. She nodded at the doctor before she opened her locker.

"Yes, Commander, is there something you need?" Dr. Chakwas asked.

"How did you end up serving on an Alliance ship?" Alyss inquired, stowing the medi-gel next to her shotgun.

Her gear, was neatly placed inside; biotic amplifier, pistol, assault rifle, shotgun, sniper rifle, and grenades. They were all there. She looked down at her attire, actually realizing for the first time that her armor wasn't on her—Alenko must've had a Hell of a time getting her out of it. She grinned impishly.

"I enlisted right out of med school. Earth always seemed boring to me…too safe, too secure. I figured the colonies were teeming with exotic adventure. I wanted to travel the stars, tending the wounds of tough soldiers with piercing eyes and sensitive souls. Turns out military life isn't quite as romantic as I'd imagined." Dr. Chakwas snorted.

Alyss giggled. "Tell me about it."

Though there was one soldier with piercing eyes and a sensitive soul, she wouldn't mind getting to know better…

"But humanity needs the Alliance if we want to keep expanding through the Traverse, and the Alliance always needs good doctors. So I stayed on to do my part."

Shepard closed her locker, and leaned against it, arms crossed over her chest. "Ever think you made the wrong choice?"

Karin shrugged. "Sometimes I think about opening a private practice on Earth, or maybe taking a position at one of the new med centers out in the colonies. But there's something special about working on soldiers. If I left the Alliance now, I'd feel like I was abandoning them."

Alyss nodded in understanding. "What do you know about Captain Anderson?"

"I've served with him for a few tours now. He knows when to let things slide and when to crack the whip. The crew knows he's seen pretty much anything they'll ever run into. And he cares about the people under his command. You bring out the best in him, though, Shepard." Dr. Chakwas continued.

"How well do you know the lieutenant?" Alyss was phishing, and she wasn't even going to hide it—she was very attracted to Kaidan Alenko, and anything she could learn would be beneficial.

"I'd never worked with him before this mission. But he has an impressive service record; over a dozen special commendations. Tends to keep to himself, though. Maybe because of the headaches…it's not easy being an L2."

He talked to Alyss readily enough—though she was a fellow biotic…

"What does that have to do with it?" She cocked her head to one side.

"Well, most biotics now use the L3 implants—like you, Commander. Lt. Alenko was wired with the old L2 configuration. Sometimes there are complications."

Shepard knew about his migraines—they'd had a nice conversation about their biotics, before she'd bungled the whole thing by taking his hand, that first night. Had he been holding out on her? Was there some deep dark consequence of his implant that he didn't want to share with her because she couldn't relate?

"What kind of complications?"

"Severe mental disabilities, insanity, crippling physical pain; there's a long list of horrific side effects. Kaidan's lucky. He just gets migraines." Dr. Chakwas finished.

Alyss envied that the doctor got to use his first name, while she had to skirt around it, calling him Alenko or Lieutenant. If she could, she'd use his first name all the time—she did in her head, but never out loud—it would be inappropriate conduct. Though conduct she'd most likely condone if she knew he felt the same.

"I should go see how Williams is settling in." Alyss admitted.

Karin nodded. "Goodbye, Commander.

Kaidan and Ashley we're both together in the mess, sitting at the large table, gloomy looks on both their faces. Shaking her head after depositing the medi-gel packs in her locker, Alyss walked up to them and hopped up onto the edge of the table, next to Alenko and across from Williams. She never sat in chairs if she could help it…besides someone needed to lighten the mood, might as well be her.

"Commander, I'm glad you're going to be okay…losing Jenkins was hard enough on the crew, and I'm glad we didn't lose you too." Kaidan admitted, coyly.

"It'll take more than that to knock me out of action." Alyss stated.

Like a long walk on the beach, with a certain biotic…

"I'll bet, Commander." Ashley laughed.

The three of them lapsed into a comfortable silence, for a couple minutes. Kaidan's head was swimming with the smell of Shepard's coconut hair products—she was so close to him, and Ashley couldn't believe she was on the Normandy of all places after her crap assignments. Alyss picked at a small piece of lint on the leg of her pants, but couldn't take the silence for much longer than that.

"Things were pretty rough down there." She said, suddenly.

"Yeah." Kaidan shrugged. "You never get used to seeing dead civilians; doesn't seem right. At least Saren didn't manage to wipe out the colony."

Ashley nodded sadly. "I've seen friends die before. Comes with being a marine, but to see my whole unit wiped out and what the Geth did to those poor colonists...but things would have been a whole lot worse if you hadn't shown up."

Shepard smiled. "I couldn't have done it without you two."

"We're marines. We stick together. I'm just sorry we lost Jenkins." Alenko mumbled.

"Yeah…I wish I could've done something to save him." Alyss muttered, remembering that horrible moment.

"Part of me feels guilty." Ashley told them. "If Jenkins was still alive, I might not be here."

Shepard turned her top half, to get a good hard look, at Ashley. Did she really believe that? Even if Jenkins had survived, after what they'd all been through on Eden Prime, she would've personally requested the woman's transfer, if it had come to that. She frowned, and wrinkled up her nose in thought.

"Jenkins was a valuable part of this crew, and he'll be sorely missed. But you're a good soldier, Williams. You belong on the Normandy." She said; her voice soft but firm.

"Thanks Commander, I appreciate that. I have to admit, I was a little nervous about being assigned to the Normandy. It's nice when someone makes you feel welcome." Ashley smiled, slightly.

Alyss winked. "I think you're going to fit in here just fine, Williams."

"Commander, you _know_ Jenkins wasn't your fault—I was there. You did everything right. It was just bad luck." Kaidan reassured her.

He was trying very hard to refrain from touching her hand in comfort—even though his brain demanded that he do so. Instead, Kaidan put his hands in his lap, and looked up at her. Oh, what she wouldn't give to place her hand over Kaidan's and give it a gentle 'thank you' squeeze—but that was obviously not appropriate conduct for his commanding officer to display, plus he'd put his hands in his lap, out of her reach. He was doing a very good job, making her feel better—there really hadn't been a way she could have saved Richard, and she knew it, but she still blamed herself for not preparing better for it.

"Thank you, Alenko."

She ran a hand through her hair, disturbing the nice neat ponytail she had pulled her hair into, and decided to just let it down for now. Technically they were still on duty, and she should remain professional, but they still had some time to kill before docking with the Citadel, and so with a flick of her wrist she pulled her hair band out, and settled it on her wrist like a bracelet. Her long black hair fell around her shoulders and Kaidan inhaled quietly. Why did such a simple thing drive him insane with longing?

"It's been a hell of a shakedown cruise. Our first mission ends with one Spectre killing another. The Citadel Council's not gonna be happy about that. Probably use it to lever more concessions out of the Alliance." Kaidan needed to distract himself with other things.

"You've got a good grasp of the situation; you a career man?" Alyss asked, her tone sounding a bit flirtier than she'd intended…

He shrugged, nonchalantly ignoring his palpitating heart at her flirty tone. "You know how it is for biotics. We're not restricted, but we sure don't go undocumented. May as well get a paycheck for it. Besides, my father served. Made him proud when I enlisted. Eventually. But is that why you're here, because of your family?"

Alyss shook her head. "I was a regular Navy brat. I got a little more noteworthy than the folks expected."

"Ah, that's right. The Blitz. I imagine that bought you any post in the fleet." Kaidan nodded approvingly.

"I've never met anyone who was awarded the Star of Terra." Ashley added, teasingly.

"You can have it, if you want." Shepard smirked. "It's in the crew quarters, on the nightstand next to my bunk—I'm pretty sure it ostracizes whoever holds it."

All three laughed, but Alyss was completely serious; she'd never felt like she fit in anywhere since she got it, until she was reassigned to the Normandy. Her father had gotten it framed for her—because she never wanted to wear it. She never saw the point—it was just a physical reminder of all the colonists she'd failed—not just the ones she saved. Kaidan sensed something in her tone and knew it was time to move on to another topic.

"Word is we're heading for the Citadel, ma'am. Can you tell us why?" He asked.

"The captain hopes the Ambassador can get an audience with the Council." Shepard said, not wanting to hide anything from her crew. "Tell them what Saren's been up to."

"Makes sense." He nodded. "They'd probably like to know he's not working for them anymore."

Alyss smiled at him, and hopped off the table. They should be getting close to the Citadel by now and she needed to tell Joker to dock. Both Kaidan and Ashley stood up from the table as well, saluting her as they did so. She grimaced. The salute wasn't necessary in the slightest, and it tended to make Shepard very uncomfortable.

"Yeah, I know I would." She said.

"Whatever happens, we'll be ready, Commander." Kaidan assured her.


End file.
